Beautiful Lie
by anzafire
Summary: SERIES COMPLETE Sequel to Beautiful Mess - Will and Emma's journey through parenthood; unexpected complications arise and struggles continue as they attempt to make the best life possible for their family.
1. Chapter One

_Sequel to Beautiful Mess_

**Chapter One**

"Mh, Em—"

He was cut off in a moment of passionate fury, wet lips tackling his own, hands skimming down the front of his body and hips grinding firmly against his. When Emma was frustrated, she had a tendency to show it — not that he minded.

Wanting to be in control, Will rolled them over so he was once more dominant, attacking her features with every feeling washing over him; desperation and desire controlling the situation.

Once Lily had learned how to climb out of her crib the year previous, the couple's intimacy had become staggered and unpredictable. No longer could they simply move to their bed on a whim, — now their patterns of love-making were sporadic and unpredictable — they relished every moment they stumbled upon and soaked up each time they had the opportunity to re-explore one another.

Will and Emma had expected their lives to become easier once Lily gained independence; that most factors in their lives would return to the same stable conditions they'd been before they brought a child into the world; Emma would go back to work full time and Will could take over coaching the Glee club once more. But the couple soon found that more independent their daughter became physically and emotionally, the more dependent on one another they _all_ became.

The cliche 'terrible twos' hadn't been quite as horrifying as Emma anticipated it would be. Sure, there were tantrums, and plenty of them; but for the most part, they were manageable. Usually the mother would stand with her arms crossed and eyebrows raised at the screaming ball of a child that Lily would become, her curly red hair strewn around her and feet flailing wildly in the air. She'd wait patiently until the girl could pull herself together, apologize, and then together they'd find a solution for whatever it was she wanted.

Will had generally arrived home around four in the afternoon, where he was typically tackled promptly by the little beast he called his daughter the moment the garage door opened. He'd lift her into his arms and kiss her cheek while she hugged him tightly, her scrawny limbs latching around him so tightly, he didn't even have to hold onto her. Once she acquired more language skills, she asked every day, "Do you love me, daddy?" To which he always responded, "Of course," and let her kiss his nose before scampering back to whatever activity she'd previously been engaged in.

Once Lily returned to entertain herself, Emma made her debut, typically sliding out of the kitchen and winding her arms around Will, pressing him against her while meeting his lips and winding her fingers through his curls.

She'd gone back to work, part time, after the first semester of being home every day. For the next year and a half, she only counseled on monday, wednesday and friday mornings while Lily stayed with her grandparents, the elder Schuester couple — and Emma placed emphasis on couple. If, for whatever reason, Will's father could not be around in the morning, Emma would take the day off, or, on a blue moon, ask Terri if she'd be interested in watching her daughter.

Emma had bounced back from the depression; she wouldn't deny that raising a child was hard on her — toilet training had been a nightmare she eventually left to her husband — but she didn't hate motherhood. She quite enjoyed being able to spend time with her little girl on a daily basis, nurturing and playing with her, singing, reading or cuddling her daughter; she wanted to be a part of Lily's life in the most important role there was.

As Will moved his lips over Emma's neck and her fingers danced along his pelvic bones, they knew how much they depended on this, their time they could spend in one another's arms — the physical reminder of their unfaltering love for each other. It had been almost a full week since they'd last found the time to stow away, with the end of the school year's business and Lily's constant interruption when they thought they'd found a moment to themselves, Emma desperately needed to call his name in a way she only did when they were together; Will needed to bask in the afterglow of their love.

Just as he'd begun advancing the foreplay, a loud shattering of glass had Will pulling his face away from his wife's neck and meeting her eyes as she panted in desire to continue, but knowing where they needed to be as a traumatized cry reverberated down the hall to their bedroom. Will was still in a pair of boxers and climbed off Emma — tossing her the nightgown she had been prepared to put on after changing out of her work clothes when he told her not to bother —and muttered an apology before taking off to the source of the crash.

Emma evened her breathing as she slid into the silky material, not taking time to put on undergarments as she made her way to the kitchen, where Will was tip-toeing around shards of broken glass to pick up his equally broken daughter, who had fallen to the tile in her state of hysteria, sobbing and reeling in guilt.

"Lily," Will said gently, narrowly avoiding a piece of broken cup as he bent to lift the little girl from the floor, "Sweetie, are you hurt?"

It took a few composing breaths before she could shake her head no, burying it in the crook of his neck as he steered around the glass and moved her to the kitchen island, scooting one of the stools over, detaching her from his shoulders and taking his time analyzing her pale skin for any cuts or scrapes she may not have noticed.

"Em? Could you grab the tweezers and a bandaid?" Lily's wide, tear filled eyes met his as he made the request which his wife had turned to comply, "It's okay, sweet-pea..." He rubbed a comforting hand along her arm and placed a kiss on her forehead, "It's okay."

She continued sniffing when Emma returned with the supplies and approached her daughter sympathetically, handing Will the tweezers and observing her baby's face switch from upset to horror when Will bent her little leg towards him and as the sharp metal approached her foot, Lily jerked back and screamed, "No, Daddy!"

"We've got to get the sharp part out, baby," He said, attempting to take her limb back in his hand, but she squirmed on the counter closer to her mother.

Emma sighed, stroking her baby's hair as she pressed her face close to her mother's stomach, "Lily, it's okay, it'll only hurt for a second...I need you to cooperate." When she didn't turn outwards Emma made an empty threat, "If Daddy doesn't do it then we've got to take you to the hospital."

"No!" She cried loudly, hugging around Emma tightly, who nodded at Will to quickly grab her leg while she was distracted. Luckily the clear shard hadn't completely embedded itself into the skin, and after a quick yet gentle pull, Will removed the piece of glass and sprayed the broken skin with antiseptic before placing a pink, cat-themed bandaid over it and rubbing his daughter's back.

"There we go, sweetie-pie, all over," Will smiled sadly, lifting his baby's face off his wife and watching as another bought of tears rolled down her cheeks, "It's okay."

"I-I-I'm sorry," She choked, twisting the fabric of Emma's nightgown before crumpling her face once more, "D-do you s-still l-love me?"

"Oh, Lily..." Emma completely lifted her tiny frame from the countertop and hugged her close, as she tried not so smile at her little girl's high-pitched voice —her 'r's sounded like 'w's and her 'l's sounded like 'y's; but it was more adorable then worrisome at her age — "Sweetheart, a little broken glass doesn't change that I love you. It's okay, I promise." Emma's eyes trailed to the slivers of crystal-hued drink-ware on the floor, "What were you trying to get?"

"M-my cup!"

"Are you supposed to be getting your own food and drink, hm?" Will asked, trying to meet her brown eyes, which were searing more tears of guilt, "Or are you supposed to ask me or mommy for help?"

"B-but your, your door was closed!"

"Oh...right," Will cringed and pulled Emma to him, enveloping both of his girls in a hug, "Okay, Lil. Next time, instead of choosing which rule to break, just knock, okay?"

She nodded, curly hair tickling Emma's chin as the older redhead continued to glare at the mess on the floor, which Will took note of and pecked a kiss to her temple, "You take care of her, I'll clean this up." Her eyes pleaded with him for a brief moment to switch roles, but he shook his head, "She wants you now, Em...I'll take care of the kitchen."

Emma swallowed and nodded, carefully wading around a sea of shattered glass and took her daughter down the hall, "How about a bath, get you nice and cleaned up?"

"No, no!"

She peeled her away to meet the blotchy face, "Sweetheart, what's wrong?"

"Not bath time!"

Lily liked to keep things structured, Emma had noticed, especially over the past few months as her vocabulary had expanded and she was forming sentences, this break in her usual routine would likely cause for an argument, "It's okay...We'll just have extra play time after dinner if you take a bath now. You're not going to have to go to bed after." The little girl clung her legs tightly around Emma's hips, not wanting to give in to the suggestion.

"But..."

"Come on, let's get in the tub." Emma could tell that Lily was about to argue again, so she set the girl down in the bathroom attached to the master bedroom, turned her chin up and crouched to her level, "Lily, I need you to listen to Mommy, okay? We're taking a bath now. We will play after dinner."

The tiny ginger-haired girl continued to protest, stamping her foot and crossing her arms for emphasis as she declared, "But it's not time yet!

Emma huffed, sweeping her bangs off her forehead, trying not to grow frustrated, and started the water, letting it warm before plugging the hole, "I think that, you need to listen to me, so that _you_ can make a good choice and not have to sit in a time out."

Lily pouted, her arms hanging at her sides in defeat, "Even though it's not time?"

Emma nodded back and lifted the powder-blue, ruffly, smock-top off Lily's little frame, "Even though it's not time," She repeated to emphasize the point, undoing the buttons on the girl's white capri pants. "We'll still do all the other normal things before bed, don't worry. We'll still brush your hair and teeth, read a book, sing and cuddle, okay?"

The little redhead sniffled and looked down, "D-do you still love me?"

She paused and placed a hand on either side of her daughter's bare arms, pressing a firm kiss to her cheek and meeting her eyes, "Of course I still love you, Lily," She shimmied out of the rest of her clothes and let Emma lift her over the edge of the bathtub, as her tiny legs couldn't swing over, "I will always love you."

"Daddy?" Lily smiled when Will poked his head into the bathroom ten minutes later, now adorning a shirt and pajama pants, "Want to play in the water?" She asked, moving a plastic shark out of the water and back down with a splash with enough force, it sent sudsy water into her mother's face, making the girl gasp, bringing her hands to her face, "Sorry! Sorry, Mommy, sorry!"

Emma took a towel from a stack on a wicker shelf and patted the soap off her face and smiled down at her daughter, "It's okay, sweetheart. Just an accident; it's only water."

"I'm sorry!"

Will crouched so he was kneeling on the rug-covered tile next to his wife, cupping Lily's damp face and sending a comforting smile in her direction, "It's okay, Lil. Really, Mommy's okay, look."

Once more, the little girl refused to take comfort in their words and let salty tears fall into the bathwater, "I'm sorry! I'm sorry for b-breaking the c-cup and not listening and sp-splashing Mommy—""

Emma sighed and leaned slightly against Will, "I think we're quite finished here," She handed him a fluffy, yellow towel and lifted Lily out of the water and into his strong arms as he dried and held her at the same time, kissing her wet, tangled hair and whispering nonsense into her ears,

"Lily, Lily..." He bounced her lightly, as he'd done so often when she was a baby, "What are we going to do with you, hm?"

Emma led them to the toddler's room, finding an acceptable pair of summery pajama shorts, which were a tad baggy on her thin waist, dressing her slowly, trying not to make too many sudden movements to disturb her any further.

As a flowery top was pulled over her head, Lily took a few steps forward and leaned against Emma, sighing through her tears. Will rubbed the little girl's back and kissed the top of Emma's head before standing, "How about we get something ready for dinner?"

Lily pulled away and Emma stood, capturing her small hand in her own, "Mommy, is it bedtime now?"

She shook her head, "No, honey, that's why Daddy said we're going to make dinner."

"Well how come you and daddy are in jammies, too?"

"Uh," Emma stumbled over her words, meeting Will's humorous gaze and quickly thinking of something to say, "Well, It's a pajama party. Yeah, we'll make some waffles for dinner and then watch a movie, okay, sweat-pea?"

Lily nodded, pleased with the answer, "Can we watch the one where those kids are in the trees and singing about the 'do'?"

After fruit-covered breakfast food and a showing of _The Sound of Music_, Lily had exhausted herself. As she sat snuggled between Will and Emma, her little head dropped to Will's lap, as he eyed the time while the credits rolled, "Perfect timing, let's get ready for bed," He patted her shoulder while she rubbed at her eyes.

She took her time, carefully brushing her teeth while Emma combed at her curls, gently, as they often caused tears, "All done!" Lily announced after she neatly lined her purple toothbrush in its holder.

Emma kissed her cheek and walked her to the love seat in her bedroom, where she climbed into Will's lap and he read to her, followed by a short rendition of _You Are My Sunshine_ as her eyelids started to flutter shut, "Ready to go to sleep?"

"Can I sleep with you and Mommy?"

Will shook his head, "No, you've got your own bed, Lil," He eyed Emma, knowing that she was hoping to be able to continue what they'd started previously.

She pouted, wrapping her arms around his neck tightly and he stood, pulling his wife up as well so they could tuck Lily into the toddler bed in her butterfly-themed room.

Emma pulled the blankets back and sat on the edge near the pillows as Will settled Lily against them and sat with his knees touching his wife's, "Alright, baby...sweet dreams," He pressed a kiss to her forehead and stroked the side of her face, "I love you."

"I love you too," Lily kissed his hand and turned to her mother, "And I love you mommy."

Running her fingers through her daughter's curly hair, Emma returned the declaration, "I love you, too, sweetheart."

Both parents crossed to leave, while Lily turned her little body to the side, reaching for her security blanket and curled it in her fists, close to her face, letting sleep consume her small figure.

Will closed her door most of the way and drew Emma close to him by her hip; she hung her arms around his shoulders with a deep sigh, "Bedroom?"

"Oh, yes."

He took her hand with a smirk, leading them to close the door, where she soon found her back as his hands moved skillfully up the nightgown she still wore, his fingertips grazing the skin on her upper thighs while his lips matched hers almost painfully and his tongue sought entrance to her mouth by grazing against her teeth.

"Will," She moaned, winding an arm around his neck and grinding her hips against his, "Bed," She gasped as his arms slipped up, wrapping around her waist, allowing her to instinctively twist her legs around him, "Mhm, Will," his mouth traveled south, pressing kisses down her throat as he rubbed his forehead against her chest, his nose gliding against the satiny fabric of the garment covering her. His palms slid back up her nightgown, along her sides, thumbs catching the fabric, sliding it over her chest so he could plaster kisses there as well.

As they continued twirling against the blankets, Emma felt her frustration continuing to increase, rather then dissipate as it typically did once her needs were met. In a moment of a judgment lapse, she murmured in panted breath, "God, I can't stand this."

Will promptly stopped his fingers, tilting his head up with a raised brow as Emma caught what she said out loud, "Oh, no, oh, no, no...not...not, um...don't stop." He repositioned himself to sit straddling her waist, crossing his arms with a playful smirk until her flush increased and she looked to the side in embarrassment, "It's...it's um...just really...frustrating that, we can't do this when we want to. When we need to."

"Ah," He softened, feeling his masculinity back in tact, after fearing he'd lost, quite literally, his touch, "Here I thought...never mind," He chuckled lightly, leaning to brush a kiss across her forehead, "I know what you mean. I've been feeling it too. It's not easy."

"I just...I don't know what to do...Earlier when she...freaked out...I just...I didn't know how to react...I felt so useless, and I felt terrible that I wanted to just stay here with you at first, rather then running out to my daughter...who...needed me," As the conversation switched, so did Emma's tone of frustration and embarrassment to self-anger and disappointment, tears pulling at the corner of her eyes.

"Hey, hey," Will cupped her cheek, "Em, it's okay. I didn't really want to leave you either, but in the end, we both knew where we needed to be, right? And even though we didn't have some sort of...instruction guide to take care of the problem, we were still able to deal with it okay," He placed a kiss on her nose and smiled down at her, hoping to get one in return, "You are _not_ a bad mother. Don't question yourself, sweetheart. We can talk about it later, though, okay?"

"Okay..._oh_, we still need to do something about _this_," She breathed, referencing his hands which had returned to below her waist, "Next week summer starts. She's going to be with us all day, every day...and now she's," Emma gasped slightly as Will continued his attempts at distracting her, "C-cognitively aware of what's happening around her...I don't want her —oh! — s-scarred for life."

"Maybe," He said between kisses to her naval, "We can put her in a morning program," His tongue danced against her skin, forcing her hips to buckle, "Or I'm sure my mother wouldn't mind having her—"

"Okay, you were right," Emma breathed, "Let's focus on it later," Her fingers raked through his hair, pulling him up for a long kiss, "I don't really want to think about your mother while we're doing _this_."

Will laughed and pressed down for another kiss before winding his fingers through her hair, "There's only one mommy I want to think about right now," He purred, nipping her bottom lip, "And I think she's feeling the need to discipline somebody right about now."

"Oh?" Emma's eyes twinkled as he rolled them over, "_I'm a sexy mamma_, right, Will?" She sang softly, shimming her hips over his, giggling as he envisioned her in a Pussycat Doll getup, "Here," Her thin fingers traveled to the pants he adorned, "Let me loosen up your buttons."

* * *

"Mommy?"

Emma looked up from her laptop to see Lily's head poking over the side of the couch, expression miserable, "What's wrong, sweetheart?" She placed her computer on the edge of the coffee table, leaving the incoming freshman schedules a mystery, "Come here," Emma lifted the tiny girl into her arms, pressing a kiss to the side of her cheek, "What's bugging you?"

Lily twisted herself so she was cradled in Emma's arms, looking down sadly, "I miss you," She pouted, moving her head to rest on Emma's chest.

"What do you mean you miss me? I'm right here."

"You're always working."

Emma's heart melted, "Oh, Lily..." Her daughter played with her long, boney fingers, "I'm so sorry you feel that way...Tell you what, though...next week, summer starts, so Daddy and I will be able to spend much more time with you."

"Okay," She said contently, snuggling back into Emma's embrace and moving her hands to the lacy ruffles on Emma's shirt, "Where is Daddy?"

"He had to stop somewhere on the way home," To pick up something for her birthday later in the week, Emma left out while placing more kisses to the top of Lily's head, "He'll be here soon, no worries."

"Is he okay?"

"Yes, sweetie. Daddy's just fine."

"Oh. Are you making dinner now?"

She eyed the clock, unsure when her not-quite-three-year-old had learned to tell read the digital device or understand the concept of hours and minutes, "Honey, how do you know what time it is?"

"Daddy's late."

"Oh, and I always start dinner when he comes home, hm?"

"Yeah," She twisted and slid down Emma's legs, taking a hand and pulling, "Come on, Mommy."

The older redhead stood, following her daughter into the kitchen where she picked the little girl up and placed her on the counter as she ruffled through the refrigerator to heat the meat she'd set aside previously in the day, "Mommy that's chicken?"

"Yes, it is honey."

"But I don't like chicken."

Emma glanced her way, "Since when don't you like chicken?"

"Papa said it come from real chickens. I don't like that."

She huffed, blowing her bangs up and washing her hands before cutting the poultry into strips to cook, "Thank you, grandpa...Okay, look, honey; I don't...I don't know what to say, but it's the same chicken you've been eating your whole life. Nothing about it has changed since papa told you."

"But it's real chicken."

"Lily...we'll talk about it again later, alright? Want to help me with the veggies?"

Nodding enthusiastically, Lily's eyes widened when Emma brought three measuring cups and bags of vegetables to the girl, "I need each of these full, okay? Put one of each into a cup with all of them. Think you can do it?"

"I got to wash my hands first," Lily lifted her arms to be picked up and carried to the sink where she pumped the lemon soap onto her tiny palms and rubbed them into a lather before rinsing them off, "Thank you, Mommy."

"You're welcome, sweet-pea...I'm going to get some rice started."

The garage door was swung open a few minutes later and Will stepped into the kitchen with an warm smile as he witnessed his two girls cooking, "Hey," Emma leaned back into his chest when his arms secured themselves around her middle, "Find everything?"

"Yes," He responded, kissing her neck, "It's in the car, I'll bring it in when she goes to sleep. How was your day?"

"Uneventful...the beast has been restless, though."

"Oh?" Will turned to face his daughter, who was so engaged in neatly aligning vegetables in the glass containers that she hadn't even noticed him enter the room, "Hi, Lily."

She didn't look up until he stood in front of her, "Hang on, I'm busy."

Emma craned her neck from the chicken to see perfectly straight, colorful rows of carrots, peppers, miniature corn, peas and broccoli, "Wow, Lil....those look very nice. But I don't think you should talk to Daddy like that."

"Sorry," Her attention still didn't waver from her project, "Almost done." Setting the last red pepper in the same direction in each cup, Lily beamed and moved so her chin rested on the counter, gazing at the cups to confirm her eccentric desire for their perfection, "Finished, Mommy!"

"Thank you, Lily. These are beautiful; you did a very nice job."

She gave her mother a wide grin and finally focused on her father, reaching her arms out, "Hi, Daddy! Sorry for being sassy. Do you still love me?"

"Oh, baby," He lifted her, kissing the mop of ginger atop her head, "Of course I still love you, sweetie. Did you have fun helping Mommy?"

"Yes, I'm a good girl, see?"

Her arm flailed backwards to the three cups, handles all lined precisely in the same direction and filled to the brim with ingredients for Emma's stir-fry. Will eyed the cups suspiciously, "Why did you make them so pretty, hm?" He asked with a kiss to her temple, testing the near-three-year-old.

She shrugged, "Just doing what Mommy said..." Moving a hand to his cheek and brushing it, Lily added, "You need to shave, Daddy."

He laughed and walked closer to his wife, "Thanks, Lil...Anything I can help with, Em?"

"Not out here, everything's under control." Emma shuffled across the kitchen, "You could help Lily clean up her room."

"How about it, kiddo?" Will bounced her lightly while she nodded.

"Don't worry, Mommy. We'll be done soon!" She squeaked, directing Will to the nursery.

They trekked down the hall and Will was shocked to find a bit of a mess in his daughter's room; she typically put things away as she played — a habit picked up from her mother, no doubt — and was surprised to find Little People in one corner of the room, dress-up clothes in another and an off-white, play crib had been pushed by her wimpy muscles into the center of the room, filled with baby-dolls and stuffed animals.

"I was playing in a circle." Lily explained Will's concern, "I was playing with the Little People and then dressing up and then playing babies and then Little People and then dressing up and then playing babies again."

"Oh, okay...what do you want to pick up first?"

"Hm...Little People!"

She scrambled to her feet and Will dropped to his knees to be on her level, taking a bin off the cubby-rack and placing it on the floor, tossing the figurines into it when Lily's eyes widened and her little arms swooped to cover the hard plastic, meeting Will's expression frantically, "No!"

"Lily, what is it?"

"You're not doing it right!" He was about to question her as to how he could possibly be placing toys in a bin wrong, but she demonstrated the right way in her mind, removing her arms and re-dumping the toys to the floor, "Let me show you..." Each character was placed delicately, standing straight up in the container, "See?"

He blinked several times, "Honey, why is it such a big deal how they get put away?"

Her face appeared ready to crumple into a tantrum, "Because, Daddy! That's how it has to be!"

"Did Mommy tell you to do that?" Will tried to pull her into his hold for a comforting hug but she wanted nothing of it, pushing his arms and continuing the tedious task of standing each person or animal straight in the storage unit.

"It's just how it goes."

Giving into defeat, Will lifted a green-hued zoo structure to the top shelf of Lily's closet, then the white house, not asking for the approval of his little girl before doing so, then moved the toy-crib into the corner with the rest of her baby-toys, leaving the dolls and stuffed animals inside of it.

"Daddy!" Lily huffed, catching sight of this and marching toward him, her hands on her hips, "I want to do this myself!" She ripped a plush bear from the confines of the crib and opened the bench beneath the window that contained all her soft toys (on the left) and blankets (neatly folded by her mother on the right), placing the bear in a stack of others similar to it.

Will sighed, "Sweet-pea, we're just picking up toys. Don't be upset..." He made a second attempt at lifting her, but once more she denied his open arms and turned her focus to the dresses that lay on the floor, folding them as neatly as her underdeveloped motor-skills could allow then stacking them in size-order. Sighing, Will retreated to the kitchen, where Emma raised a brow, having heard the commotion, "I wasn't cleaning up right."

"She really is anal about how things go in her boxes. Takes forever to get all those Little People put away. Don't even get me started on the multi-colored Mega-Blocks."

His arms settled back around her waist, "Is it...normal?"

"Is what normal?"

"...Her...insistence on perfection."

Emma shrugged, leaning back into the embrace, and eyeing the cups of vegetables her daughter had prepared, "I don't know...I guess, I mean, now she's little Miss Independent and wants to do everything for herself, her way...It's the age; or so I've read."

"Mm," Will's lips connected with the base of her neck, "God, I can't believe she's going to be three on Saturday. Where did our baby go?"

"Oh, don't talk about it, I'm going to cry."

He sucked her neck for a moment, running his hands up her sides and grinding his hips lightly against her backside, "Think we can find a moment to ourselves tonight?"

"I hope so," Emma's breath caught in her throat as she twisted to peck his cheek, "I'm going to talk to Lily, keep stirring this for me?" She asked rhetorically, placing a wooden spoon in Will's hands and making her way to her daughter's room, "Hey, sweetie."

Lily looked up, shrinking, "Am I in trouble?"

"No, honey." Emma joined her on the floor, tucking her legs beneath her, "Trying to put your Little People away?"

"Daddy was doing it wrong!"

"Okay, well..." The elder redhead attempted to find a way to compromise with the toddler, "Is there really a right way to put toys away?"

"They are supposed to stand up!"

"Is that a rule?"

Lily looked down, her bottom lip quivering as she placed a black-haired figure in a pink jumper next to a little boy holding a frog, "I don't know."

"Not really, huh?"

"Not really...but...that's the way _I _like it."

While she didn't want to give in, Emma assisted her daughter in standing the rest of the plastic figurines up, taking the bin and sliding it on the angled shelf, "All done, sweetie?"

"Babies," She pointed a thin finger towards the crib, "I have to put babies away."

"Let's do it then," They worked together, neatly dressing the four dolls into something Lily deemed acceptable and placing their accessories into another bin, which Lily sorted by type, mock-bottles and fake diapers, then placed a kiss on top of each of the doll's foreheads and settled them into the crib, "All done, Mommy!"

"Good girl," Emma pulled her into a hug, stroking her copper curls, "I think that you should say sorry to Daddy for being so rude when he tried to help you."

Her wide eyes pooled with tears, "I'm sorry—"

"No, I'm not mad at you and I'm not yelling at you, Lily. I just think you should tell Daddy that you were a little frustrated and you didn't mean to sound nasty," She patted the girl's back a few times, "Think you can do it?"

Lily placed her hand in Emma's palm, "Will you come with me, Mommy?" As the 'th' was replaced with an 'f,' the mother's heart melted as always, her daughter's innocence still present, even as she aged.

"Of course."

"Daddy?" Lily whined a bit as Will turned with raised eyebrows from the stove, "I'm sorry for being so rude."

He smirked, crouching to her level with open arms, "Come here." She ran across the clean, white tile, throwing herself at him and snuggling into his chest, "It's okay. I forgive you. And before you ask, yes, I still love you."

"Really?"

Will kissed her cheek, "Really, Lily. Ready to eat?"

Once Lily was firmly snuggled into her security blanket that night, Emma was in Will's arms once more, drawing imaginary circles on his abdomen while his hand ran up her arm, stroking her freckled frame while his head dropped to hers, "We need her to meet other kids," He spoke in a whisper, not wanting to cut too deep into their alone time.

"She's going to have a very tough time adjusting...not always able to get her way," She sighed heavily, recalling memories of her own childhood where bonding with other children was difficult, even before the accident.

"Whether or not we'd like to admit it, she is spoiled. Maybe not in gifts or toys but in attention. I mean, the only other kids she's ever even been with are Terri's three, and usually it was just the little one, but she was even two years older...and then your brother and sister's kids, who again...are much older then her...You know," Will's hand crept into Emma's locks, as she remained silent, twisting the silky strands and massaging her scalp, "The new neighbors have a little boy. He can't be to much older then Lily, by the look of him."

Emma crinkled her nose, "Yeah, but he's a little _boy_. They're just..." She shrugged, "They like dirt and boogers and just...blech."

"Ah, the truth comes out...that's why you were so excited when we found out it was a girl, hm? Less mess?" Will laughed, pulling his wife further on top of himself, "Not all little boys are into those things. Some of them like to play with Little People, and Mega Blocks...maybe we'll have to introduce ourselves sometime next week...set up a play date."

Cringing, the redhead sighed and rested against his chest, "We'll see."

"Emma...you're smothering her."

"No," She pouted, "Well...maybe, but I don't want to see her...tainted."

"Tainted?"

"Her cute, innocent side. I like her the way she is."

"Sheltered?"

"Lily is _not_ sheltered," Emma felt herself growing defensive, unsure why — what he was saying was true, "She's just..." Sitting up, she placed her hands in her lap and avoided eye-contact with her husband, "She's just..."

Will pulled himself into a seated position as well, cupping Emma's cheek so she would engage his eyes, "Sweetheart, I'm not trying to blame you for anything. You know I think that you are a fantastic mother and I'm so proud of you, and our family...and I'm thankful that we're always able to come to conclusions that are beneficial for everyone involved. Let's talk, not get upset over this, okay? Just talk it out." She took a shallow breath and nodded, biting her bottom lip as he continued, "Earlier this week, you said you were going to want her gone for some parts of the day, right?"

"I-I didn't mean it like that—"

"I know, but still...it would be nice to have alone time a few hours a week. Would you be horribly opposed to some sort of morning activity program or daycare?"

"Will, we've gone three years now without putting her in daycare, why would we start now?"

"Because, sweetheart...we can't just throw her into preschool in the fall. She'd be so lost...she needs interaction with kids her own age. If we just throw her in for four mornings a week and expect her to be able to learn something...we're only going to hurt her."

Emma cringed again, "I was hoping we could just continue to keep her at your parent's on the same days..."

"Well," Will was about ready to try again in the morning, "How about we ask Lily? See what she'd like to do...if she wants to go to grandma and grandpa's or maybe make some new friends."

Unsure of what her daughter would want, of how far she was willing to go outside of her own little world, Emma sighed, leaning forward to rest against Will, "I guess," Her movements stilled as her eyes grew heavy; the couple drifted to sleep, both their thoughts plagued with visions of their daughter's future.

* * *

Not wanting to flat out tell her daughter that she wanted the little munchkin to leave the couple alone for a few hours a day, Emma started with asking what Lily would like to do for her birthday the following morning, "I don't know."

The older redhead pulled a pair of pink, ruffly shorts over the tiny girl's legs — it was the day before her third birthday and Lily was barely filling out twenty-four month clothes — and patted her knees, "You don't know what you want to do on your own birthday?"

"Can we see Nana and Grandpa?"

"Oh," Emma sighed, her heart aching to venture to Virginia as well, "Honey, not tomorrow...we're going very soon, though."

"Can we see Aunt Annie?"

Smiling sadly, Emma kissed the top of Lily's ginger curls, "Sweet-pea, they live by Nana and Grandpa, remember? We can't drive all the way out there now."

"So we can't see JoJo or Kendal?"

"I'm sorry...It'd be nice if we lived closer, huh?"

"Yeah...well, will you play with me?"

Emma wrapped her arms around the little girl and sighed, "Oh, sweetheart, of course. I was thinking, that if you wanted to, maybe we could go visit the zoo? Or maybe a park?"

Lily's amber eyes widened, "Would you swing with me at the park?"

After mentally cringing at how throughly disgusting public parks were and wondering why she had suggested the idea, Emma smiled weakly, "Of course. And maybe," She wanted to build up the excitement for the day, "Daddy will get you ice cream."

Ice cream was an exceptionally special treat for the little girl. With Emma's anti-dairy policies and desire to feed her child as many organic and healthy options as possible, sugar and sweets were a rarity in the Schuester household.

"Really?"

"Really."

"The kind with the candy eyes?"

"Of course, what would ice cream be without eyes?" Emma laughed and pulled a equally-ruffled, white shirt over Lily's head, then lifted her into the kitchen for breakfast

Lily nuzzled her cheek against her mother's before being helped into her booster seat on one of the high-backed chairs that surrounded the kitchen's island, "Morning Daddy," She greeted Will, who stirred a pot of oatmeal.

"Good morning, almost-birthday girl."

She giggled, "Daddy, Mommy said we could get ice cream and go to the park tomorrow!"

"Really?" He poured the goopy breakfast food into two bowls, one for his daughter and himself — Emma refused to eat it after her pregnancy, when it was all she could eat for so long, "Sounds like we'll have all kinds of fun."

"Yeah! And you can slide with me!"

"Oh, I don't know about that," Will remarked, splashing a touch of soy-milk over the oats to cool them down before placing serving in front of his daughter and handing his wife a bowl full of strawberries that would serve as her breakfast, "I think I'm a bit to big to go down a slide...But I could catch you at the bottom, if you'd like."

He ran across Emma's shoulders before sitting on the other side of his daughter, "Can we get a puppy, too?"

Emma nearly choked, earning a failed attempt at a suppressed giggle from Will, "I don't think so, Lily."

The near-three-year-old shrugged, "It was worth a try."

After another failed laugh cover-up, Will leaned over to press a kiss on his daughter's temple, "You're funny."

"I am?" Her eyes twinkled.

Motherhood was always an emotional roller coaster for Emma, in only ten seconds of conversation, she had gone from shock to comedic laughter and now nearly in tears of her daughter's innocence. Will took notice and shot her a look that expressed his understanding before placing an arm on the back of his little girl's chair, meeting her gaze and smiling softly, "You are."

She returned to her oatmeal, leaving Will to stand and cross a few tiles before resting his arms around his wife, his lips meeting her cheek while whispering, "It's okay to let her grow up."

Emma tilted her face so their lips collided, her breath tasting like fresh berries as he deepened the kiss only slightly, not wanting to disturb their toddler.

"Daddy, your oatmeal's going to get cold!"

He smiled and pulled away, sarcastically thanking Lily for the reminder as the family continued to get ready for their last day of a tight schedule before the summer break began.

The couple groaned simultaneously as their bedroom door creaked all the way open the next morning, having been hoping they'd be able to sleep in before celebrating their daughter's third year of life.

The bed barely moved as Lily hoisted her petite, princess-pajama clad frame up, trying to be as silent and stealthy as possible in order to wiggle between her parents bodies; not wanting to wake them, only snuggle close to the pair.

Neither Will or Emma made any indication that they had heard their daughter entering, only letting silent smiles grace their faces as she cuddled between them, sliding under their mound of blankets and resting her tiny face near Emma's chest and reaching back to place a hand near her father's.

They all fell back asleep, only Will waking nearly two hours later, amused to find Lily flat on her back with her wild, red hair framing her face, Emma curled around the littler girl's body, one arm around her waist while the other was tangled in her own curly locks.

Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, he reached for the iPhone on the edge of his nightstand and silently snapped a photo of his ladies, sending it at once to his long time friend from college — who while a ladies' man, much like Will had been at the time, was still quite single in his mid thirties — with a caption that read, 'Bet you wish you could wake up to this every morning.'

He returned the phone back to its resting place, knowing he wouldn't receive a reply until the afternoon when his said friend awoke after a long night of partying — not everyone gave up habits formed in their early twenties — and stretched back out, mindlessly stroking Lily's curls, smiling in appreciation of the sight before him.

Even three years after the fact, Will still considered his daughter to be a miracle.

It was something he'd never mentioned to his wife, he hadn't wanted to needlessly worry her — but there was a moment in the NICU when the doctors and nurses had worried that his pre-term baby wasn't going to make it past her second hour of life.

_She was precious in every way possible — her seventeen-inch frame curled beneath a sterile, white blanket, a tiny pink cap covered her downy hair to keep heat trapped within her small confines — and Will didn't think he'd ever seen anything he wanted to protect more then the bundle before him._

_He applied light amounts of pressure to her legs, the nurse had told him that too much stroking would drive Lily's under-developed nervous system crazy, and he didn't want to hurt the infant in any way, no matter how unintentional and loving the gesture was meant to be._

_Removing his hands and placing them atop the incubator so Lily could drift back to sleep, Will stood, silently watching her for a few minutes until something didn't seem quite right._

"_Um..." He raised his head, spotting a nurse a few feet away, replacing a bag for a feeding tube that belonged to a sick little boy. She immediately rushed to his side, eyeing his daughter who's previously peachy skin was turning a shade of blue that only belonged to cartoon characters._

_The monitor tracking her heart rate dipped, beeping loudly, and several more nurses surrounded the baby within seconds._

_Will stepped back, trying to process what was happening, unsure if he wanted to stay in the room to see his daughter fighting for her life._

_It was only a brief battle, a nurse turned to him with a sad smile, "She's fine. It's called Apnea...it happens all the time. Pre-term babies sometimes forget to breathe, especially in their sleep. That's why we keep her hooked up. All it takes is a little bit of tapping or prodding and she'll snap back to it."_

_Will returned his own air-intake to normal once he heard that his daughter would be okay, thankful beyond compare that she hadn't faced a more serious complication. _

_When he found the inner strength to return to the incubator, Will's heart melted at the sight of his daughter's eyes wide awake, her arm reaching in his direction. He choked back tears of joy, relief, and concern, then reached through the hole to grasp her tiny hand between two fingers._

Three years later, Will often found his fingers covering the tiny hand that belonged to his daughter, such as now while she stirred awake, moving her arms above her head with a yawn then facing him with a toothy grin, "Morning, Daddy," She said quietly, reaching a hand to touch his face.

"Morning, baby...happy birthday."

"Oh yeah..." She sat up, squirming away from Emma's hold and moving into her father's, "I almost forgot!" He wrapped his arms around her as she climbed on top of him, spreading across his chest, "Can we wake up Mommy?"

"No need," Emma took her turn to yawn and rolled until she was pressed next to her husband, "Good morning, birthday girl."

"Morning, Mommy," Lily piped, fidgeting until she wormed her way between the couple once more.

Emma couldn't say much, knowing she'd likely break down in tears. She could hardly fathom that it had been three long years since she'd been lying in the hospital, shaking in pain with Will and her sister at her sides, comforting her as best they could. The hysteria that followed the labor, the disappointment that arose when she found she wouldn't be seeing her daughter until almost a full day after she was born...the feelings had quickly disappeared after she'd held Lily for the first time, and her inner-strength really began to grow when she realized her baby could recognize her by the sound of her voice.

_Will had gone to the hotel to see the Glee kids off with Emma's sister and check them out of their room, then move their suitcases to the temporary lodging. This was the first time she'd ventured to the NICU alone and while she loved being there with her husband, she was thankful to have alone time with her daughter. _

_After throughly disinfecting up to her elbows — for her baby's sake, not her own — Emma padded across the NICU tile, hands resting on the cut outs of Lily's incubator as she took a moment to drink in the sight of her child, sound asleep, her monitor's beeping evenly and her little chest rising and falling in time._

"_Hi, sweetheart," Emma whispered, reaching a hand through the hole near her daughter's feet and resting a hand on them, "Hey, precious...Are you going to wake up for me, hm?"_

_Lily grunted, her scrawny arms moving wildly for a moment as she opened her eyes, not focusing on anything in particular. _

_Emma crouched, while her muscles were still a bit sore, she was willing to risk the pain to make contact with her daughter, "Lily," She moved her hand to the first hole, placing it gently on the side of her infant's face, "It's Mommy, honey."_

_She turned her apple-sized head towards the sound of the voice, "Look at you, sweetie..." Her arm stretched toward the noise, her squinted, underdeveloped eyes working their hardest to focus. She wrapped her palm around one of the fingers Emma offered, squirming in desire for more contact._

_A nearby nurse took notice of the interaction and joined the mother behind the incubator, "She recognizes your voice," The woman in scrubs declared, resting a firm hand on Emma's shoulder, "She knows that you are a very important person to her...she knows that you love her, that you care about her." Emma failed to swallow the lump that formed in her throat, letting a few happy tears out, "You're very blessed...most mothers at this stage only imagine that their baby can recognize them. Yours can." There was silence as Emma composed herself, "Would you like to hold her?"_

_She nodded, pulling a rocker close to the incubator as the nurse worked Lily out, repositioning the small bundle before resting her in the mother's arms, "How about we just cradle her, instead of kangaroo care...that way she can learn your face."_

_Lily grunted and fussed, twisting to find a comfortable position; finally doing so, her right arm poked out from the blanket and flailed in midair before finding a contented resting spot on her mother's chest. Her beady eyes blinked continuously as she struggled to gain control over her gaze, her muscles twitching as she finally seemed to see what she wanted to — her mommy's face._

_They stared at each other in silence, a smile plastered to Emma's face while the nurse took pictures of the moment._

_Lily eventually fell back asleep as Emma hummed quietly and rocked her, speaking nonsense into her thumbnail-sized ears to remind her what she sounded like, pressing gentle touches to her bitty body, and soft kisses to her face._

Emma still liked holding Lily the way she had back then, often before bed she'd pull her daughter into her lap, cradling her and whispering goodnight's, kissing her temples, or singing a familiar tune beneath her breath.

Now as they lay curled up as a family while the Saturday morning sun covered the bed, both parents know they were thinking similarly — back on the events from three year previous, Lily clueless between them.

"Should we get you dressed, sweet-pea?" Emma asked, kissing the top of Lily's head.

"Can we snuggle for just a few more minutes?"

Will felt what was already the hundredth smile of the day creeping up while he extended his arms so they covered both his girls, "You don't even have to ask."

They took their time getting ready, Emma dressed Lily in a new outfit that she'd received for her second birthday, just now fitting. Shortly after, the three-year-old had one of each her parent's hands in her own, smiling and bouncing down the street to the city park, four blocks away.

"There's the slide!" Lily tugged a little harder on Will's hand, "Come on!" Emma laughed, watching as her daughter ran as fast as her little legs would carry her to the stairway that led to the jungle gym, where she stood proudly at the top while Will moved below the bottom, "Ready to catch me?"

"Always," Will called while Lily pushed herself from the top, squealing in excitement as she slipped down the plastic surface, landing in her father's arms, continuing to giggle as he spun her around high, "How was that?"

She hugged him tightly before climbing down, "Again!"

That evening, Lily lay in her mother's arms on their back-porch swing, sound asleep as the sun was setting. Will had made a last-stitch effort to finish putting her new playground together himself, but ultimately relented to waiting until his parents would come over for dinner the next day and his father could assist him.

He placed an arm around his wife's shoulders as they both stared contently at the exhausted little girl in her arms, worn from hours of running, stuffed from an ice-cream cone that was a bit bigger then her small body needed, and overjoyed with the gifts she'd received from her mother and father.

"She's not a baby anymore," Emma sighed, brushing a stray curl out of Lily's face, "I'm going to miss it."

Will cleared his throat, wondering if asking the question on his mind was pushing the subject and mood, "Would you...Do you want to maybe...try for another?" He asked anyway.

She didn't reply right away, clearly considering it — he was sure she'd been thinking of the proposition long before he suggested it.

"Will...I just...I don't know. We've been saying if it happens, it happens...But we haven't been trying and it hasn't happened...Does that mean we do want another? Are we ready for another?" She met his gaze, eyes filled with different questions then she wanted to ask.

"Do _you_ want a baby?" He asked, gently as possible.

"I don't...I don't know. Really, I just...I don't know...if I could...handle it."

His hand curled up to pull lightly on her hair as he finger-combed the ends, "Okay," He smiled, "It's okay."

"D-Do you want another baby?"

Will shrugged, "I'd like one, sure...but that doesn't mean that I'm not happy with things just the way they are now. Another baby could only add to that."

Emma sighed, "I couldn't go back on an extended maternity leave. I just...Don't want to go through that again," Thoughts of the post-partum depression crept to the front of her mind, "I couldn't put a second child through that."

He dropped a kiss to her temple, "It's fine, Em. I'm not trying to push the issue. Just curious."

She rested her head on his shoulder, "This is enough for me," She whispered, "If it's enough for you."

He placed a second kiss on her forehead, "You've always been enough for me."

* * *

Thank you so much for continuing to follow this family on their new journey! Hope you're enjoying it; much more to come!

Also — whoever nominated me for various categories on the Glee Awards community at Livejournal, thank you so much, whoever you are! It was much appreciated! And special thanks to **crystalspsyche** who provided me with information and some inspiration for this story, along with **Jaymafans** and **agtstarbuck** for making sure it doesn't suck.

Let's say that the next chapter is coming soon. But we all know soon is relative; if you've read _Beautiful Mess_, you know I have an awful track record for producing timely writing.

Thank you for reading!


	2. Chapter Two

"She's a beautiful little girl...I've never seen such big, brown eyes...Hi, Lily! My name is Miss Carolyn...it's nice to meet you!" A petite brunette stood before Will and his daughter, who was half hidden behind his right leg as she introduced herself while crouched to the little girl's level, "What a sweetie...are you a little bit shy, hm?"

Will nudged her gently, "Say hello, Lil. She's not going to hurt you."

Miss Carolyn stood back up, flicking her wrist to dismiss Lily's lack of greeting, "She's fine...they're all a little scared at first...anyway, come on in, we'll show you around."

He had chosen to take Lily to an in-home daycare center on his own one afternoon the week after school let out. Emma was still dissatisfied with the idea and was sure that it wasn't what Lily would want. Rather then brainwashing her into going along with her mother's suggestion of going to grandma's, Will had Lily accompany him for a tour of several places that fellow faculty members had recommended as reputable childcare programs.

"Over here is our small playroom, where we have things for the littler ones...we've got all sorts of toys in here, Lily...want to see?" Lily shook her red curls 'no,' but Will lifted her into his arms and stepped forward.

"Honey, it's okay. Look, let's see what kind of toys she has."

"Do you like baby dolls?" Lily nodded against her father's shoulder, gripping his shirt collar tightly, "Would you like to see some?"

"Do other kids play with them?" She mumbled, avoiding eye-contact with Miss Carolyn.

"Yes, they do. We share all our toys with our friends here. Everyone takes turns so we all have a chance to play with everything."

"...I have my own dollies. I like playing with them."

Will tickled her to try and stimulate a more exciting response from the three-year-old, "Yeah, but now you'll have friends to play dolls with you. Then you won't have to play with me or Mommy all the time."

"I like playing with you and Mommy."

He cringed and stroked her spine, "How about we keep looking at what else Miss Carolyn has?"

The brunette motioned for them to follow into a dining room that had been converted into a crafting and eating area for little ones, with plastic picnic tables that seated four little bottoms each and the floor had been covered in protective sheets, "Here is where we have lunch and do projects...do you like to do projects, Lily?"

She shook her head again, but Will sighed as she tucked her face into his neck, "Yes you do, baby...She doesn't like glue very much...and we have meltdowns every time we try scissors because she doesn't have enough control over them...gets really frustrated, but she's learning. Right, Lil?"

"No," She full-on wrapped her arms around Will's upper half, "Daddy..."

"What's the matter, baby? Are you scared?"

"...I want Mommy. I want...I want to go home."

He sighed once more, "Alright, give me a few minutes and we will, okay?"

Miss Carolyn awkwardly cleared her throat and led the two past the living room, where nine children and babies were engrossed in playing in and around a nylon obstacle course while a teenager supervised, "Let's head into the office real quick, and I'll give you some information...you can take a look at our napping area and then we'll send you off...unless Lily decides to change her mind and stay to play with the kids for the afternoon."

She was silent in Will's arms as he took a few packets of paper detailing daily schedules, curriculum and payment plans, then followed the woman up a gated staircase and into a bedroom where cots lined the walls, "Here's the napping area that Lily would be sleeping in. Not all preschoolers actually sleep, but they are required to lay quietly for two hours after lunch ends; sometimes we put a movie in instead...Most of them end up dozing at least...but that's about it...any chance we can convince you to play with us, sweet-pea?" She rubbed a hand across Lily's back, causing the little girl to let out a gasp and twist against her dad, "...I'll take that as a no, huh? Well, Will...it was nice meeting you...if things work out, give me a call...we'll be glad to have her. The first week or two are really rough with attachment issues...but they usually get better after that."

He thanked her kindly and left with Lily beginning the start of soft cries against his shirt, "Lily, sweetheart, what's the matter? Tell me, please, honey?"

Will set her in her car seat and plopped himself next to her as a few sobs left her lips while she tried composing herself enough to speak, "D-daddy, I don't want to go!"

"Okay, okay...we haven't decided anything yet, sweetie. We were just looking around..." He wiped her tears from her cheeks with his thumb and placed a kiss to her forehead, "Would you like to try one more place? Or do you want to go home and see Mommy?"

"Go see Mommy," Lily sniffed, taking Will's hand, "And you stay, too, please?"

He smiled sadly and pressed a second kiss to her face while buckling her seatbelt.

"Mommy!" Lily shouted as they stepped into the house.

Emma poked her head out of the kitchen, where she had been wiping down counters after baking something that smelled delicious, "Hi, sweetie...how'd it—oh!" She raised her brows as Lily tackled her legs and held on with all the strength she could muster.

Will scratched the back of his neck while meeting his wife's gaze, "Didn't exactly go as well as we hoped..."

"...Honey? Are you crying? What is it, sweetie?" The older redhead crouched to her daughter's height as she wrapped her tiny arms around her neck, burying her wet face into Emma's collar.

"Mommy...I want to stay with you and Daddy...I don't want to play with the kids."

Emma slid a tight hold around the girl, standing and walking with Will to the couch, snuggling the three-year-year old and whispering to her, tangling her fingers in ginger curls, "Lily, we're not making you go anywhere."

"Why do you want me to go? You and Daddy don't have to work anymore!"

Will placed an arm at the top of the couch near his wife's head, his other hand reaching to stroke Lily's face, "Baby, Mommy and I just need some time to get things done. We're not trying to get rid of you."

She sniffed and played with the lace on the edge of Emma's top, "So you still love me?"

"Of course, Lily. We'll never stop loving you and you know it." She placed a kiss to the top of her head and smiled, "If you don't want to go, you don't have to go."

Will cleared his throat and raised a brow, "Um...maybe we should talk about this first?" He asked meeting Emma's gaze, "Before we rock somebody's world?"

"Will," She said a bit more sharply than usual, "We already said we'd see what she thought about it. We can't force her into something she doesn't want to do."

"...Yes, we can. We're her parents, Em...not her friends. We make decisions for her. It's our job."

"It's not our job to make her feel insecure!"

He pressed his lips together before continuing, "The fact is, she's never going to feel more secure unless we start something now. That's why we can't just toss her to my mom and dad's...she's already comfortable there and—"

"We'll talk about it later," Emma huffed, breathing deeply to regain her demeanor while her flustered side was daring to snap at her husband, "Now...let's, um...let's just focus on making someone feel better."

"...Can we go outside?" Lily asked suddenly, rubbing tears out of her eyes and sitting up, hands still connected to her mother's shirt.

Will nodded, rising and stretching his arms out to take her, "Of course we can...Em, you joining us?"

"I...I need to shower and...make a phone call," She avoided his face and stood, pacing to their bedroom, clearly angered at his lack of understanding her reasoning and no doubt headed to talk to her sister and find her solace in the bathroom.

"Mommy?" Lily's voice caused her to pause, "...I want you to come, please?"

"Mommy's busy, honey." Will brushed her bangs to the side of her face, "Come on, I'll push you on your swing."

"...But...why is Mommy upset? Did I make her mad? I'm sorry, I—"

"Lily, no!" Emma turned quickly, face flushed in frustration, cupping her daughter's cheeks and stroking them lightly, "Mommy just needs a cool-down time, okay? Then I'll be out to play with you." 'Cool-down time' was initiated after Lily's tantrums, where she would sit quietly in her mother's hold as they did some of Emma's deep-breathing exercises together to calm the little girl down. It had started as a part of her therapy in dealing with OCD, but applied to more areas of her life then she'd realized at the time.

"But why do you need cool-down time? Is it because I don't want to go to daycare?" Lily's brown eyes met her own and Emma's guilty feelings continued to sweep over her.

"No, sweet-pea. I'm just a little upset right now, okay? Don't you worry about it. It's not your fault and I still love you with all my heart." She kissed her crinkled forehead and faked a sad smile, "Have fun outside, alright?"

"Okay...I hope you feel better, Mommy."

She leaned back on the bedroom door once she closed it, sighing heavily and blinking a few tears out of her eyes as she reached into her pocket to call her sister, "Ann? You have a minute?"

"_Sure_," Came the voice at the other end of the line, "_After I beat my seven-year-olds, hold on just a moment..._" There was some scrambling and hollering and the slamming of a door, but Annie was back as she said, "_What's wrong, Ems?_"

"Why do you always assume that something is wrong?" Emma asked, slightly insulted as she ruffled through drawers to find clothing to change into once she showered, "Occasionally things go right that I like to tell you about."

"_That usually involve a picture message and a text, not a phone call. It's fine, really...what's going on?_"

"...Well, you know Lily's three now...and Will and I are off for the summer...and we kind of wanted to be able to have some uninterrupted alone time a few days a week, just for a few hours...so we need somewhere for her to go."

"_And you're refusing childcare, of corse, go on_."

Emma paused mid-rant, sputtering into the phone, "What...Why is it...I don't understand. What's wrong with not wanting your kid in daycare? Those places are filthy and deprive children of real human contact and —"

"_Stop, stop, stop...honey, you're sounding like yourself from about four years ago. What happened to the new Emma who isn't afraid of letting a germ or two ruin her life? I like her better. Put her on the phone so I can talk some sense into her—_"

"Annie! That's not..." She cleared her throat and sat on the edge of the bathtub, "I'm not, I'm not worried about...germs. I'm worried about Lily's safety and happiness."

"_Emma, daycare centers have to pass very strict inspection and honestly, a little bit of interaction with kids her own age can only do her good, especially now. When was the last time she had a little play date?_"

"Two weeks ago! She was at Terri's—"

"_Isn't that Will's ex-wife?_"

"Yes, we have a mutual...understanding. She watches Lily occasionally, when Will's dad has a test or something comes up...I don't leave her alone with his mom...Anyway, Terri's littlest one was home from school later in the morning, so they played for a little while."

"_And how old is the little one?_"

"...She's five, but that's not the point—"

"_Yes, Emma, it is! Lily has never been around kids her own age! She's always with you or Will's parents...I know it's hard to face, but sheltering her isn't going to do her a bit of good once she starts preschool in the fall! She needs to learn social skills to interact with her peers, not yours._" Emma was quiet, "_Ems?_" A dramatic sigh filled the ear piece as she stood, "_Sweetie, I know that's not what you called me to hear, but it's the truth...look, you take a shower, play with your kid, talk to your husband and then call me again later, alright? I've got to get the monster mash over to soccer practice_."

"Okay," She responded quietly, ending the conversation and placing her head in her hands, taking a deep breath before starting the water for an exceptionally long and well-needed shower.

"Daddy, look!" Lily pointed from the top of the slide to the yard next to them, where a little boy sat in the grass with a yellow, plastic dump-truck that looked well-used, "There's a little boy over there!"

Will pressed himself up from leaning on the wood to see a blonde-haired boy near the fence, looking forlorn at Lily on her jungle gym, clearly wanting to climb with her, "Why don't you go talk to him, hm? I know you were a little scared to see the other kids at the daycare, but maybe it'll be a little easier since this is our house."

"Oh, oh no...He's a stranger. You and Mommy always say don't talk to strangers!"

He laughed and encouraged her to make conversation with him, "It's okay, sweet-pea. If I say it's alright to talk to someone, you can."

"...What should I say?"

"Well," Will took one of her hands, "You could tell him your name...ask him his...Maybe he'd like to play with you."

"But you're playing with me!"

"Right, but that doesn't mean that he couldn't, too. I'm sure he'd love to have fun on your slide and swings."

"...Will you stay with me?"

He nodded, motioning her down the slide and to the fence, "Of course, Lily...now go on!"

She bit her lip and played with the edge of her ruffly, purple top, "Are you sure?"

"Mhm...here, I'll come with you." He took her hand, leading her to the fence, where the little boy immediately drew closer, "Say hi."

"Hi," She waved shyly, meeting the blue-eyed gaze of the boy.

"Hi!" He cheered enthusiastically, fingers linking on the chained fence.

She blushed and looked to her father before continuing, "What's your name?"

He beamed and answered, "Scott David Guire! What's your name?"

Lily cringed, her hand reaching for Will's pant leg, "Lily...Um..."

Will laughed at the awkward little ones, crouching to whisper a suggestion for his daughter to ask the neighbor. She curled into him, hiding her face before asking Scott, "How old are you?"

"I'm three years old, and I can ride my bike with no training wheels!"

Her mouth fell open, "I'm three, too! But I can't ride with no training wheels...but I can do monkey bars!"

"I can't do monkey bars," He shrugged, "But I never really tried."

"I have monkey bars in my jungle!" Lily piped, meeting Will's gaze, "Can Scott try my monkey bars?"

"Well, if Scott asks his mom and dad if it's alright with them, then he can certainly come over and play."

Faster then Will was certain even the track athletes at McKinley High could sprint, Scott had thrown open his sliding door and he heard a shout of, "Can I try Lily's monkey bars?"

He laughed and hugged Lily tightly, "I'm proud of you, Lil."

"For what?" She returned the embrace, allowing him to stroke her hair.

"Being so brave...you talked to Scott and asked him to come over...that's very nice and very brave of you."

"Like the Little Toaster?" She squeaked, jumping excitedly.

Will laughed again, "Yes, Lily, like the Brave Little Toaster."

Scott came flying back to the fence with a tall blonde man, sporting a faded college t-shirt and pair of jean shorts, rubbing sleep out of his eyes before greeting Will, who stood with an outstretched hand, "Hi...I'm Paul Guire...I see you've met Scott..."

"Yeah, Will, Schuester, this is Lily...Nice to meet you."

"Dad! Can I please, please, please, please, please go over? Please?" Scott tugged at his shorts and pointed to Lily, "She wants to show me monkey bars!"

Paul cleared his throat and eyed Will, "Do you mind?"

"Not at all!"

The blonde lifted his son into Will's arms before being set on the grass and tugging at Lily's arm, "Hey, Scott? We don't pull people, remember?"

He quickly released her scrawny limb and kissed it, "Sorry!"

She giggled and covered her face in embarrassment over being kissed by someone she barely knew, "It's okay! Come on!" Lily dawdled behind him, her height nearly six inches shorter then the boy who had beat her to the miniature playground.

"How old is she?" Paul asked, nodding to the tiny redhead who was scaling a set of bars with expert ease.

"Just turned three...she doesn't spend much time around other kids, so this should be interesting."

Will watched carefully as Lily swung her legs to reach the last bar, jumping to the plastic below her and calling Scott over, encouraging him to try the same skill she had demonstrated.

"She's so little," Paul commented, resting his arms on the fence, "I saw you carrying her in the other day...assumed she was a lot younger then three..."

"She was a few weeks early. Scared her mother and I...But she's fine now. Just little. We finally got her into twenty-four month clothes last week...So, where are you from?" Will asked with a raised brow, trying to keep the conversation going with the new neighbor.

"Indiana...my wife's family lives out here...my boss asked if I wanted to transfer branches, so we made the decision. Our oldest, Nick, wasn't thrilled...but he's adjusting. Sarah, my wife, found him a karate place and he's making friends, so he's getting over it."

Lily suddenly appeared next to Will, out of breath and hugging his leg tightly, "Daddy...can you push me and Scott on the swings?"

Emma did a double-take as she stepped out of the bathroom a half an hour later, eyes fixed on the backyard where a man, not her husband, stood pushing a little blonde boy's swing on her daughter's playscape.

She blinked, stepping closer to see Will laughing while catching Lily at the bottom of the slide. "Daddy, again!" She heard through the closed window.

Emma sighed, hadn't she said she didn't want Lily playing with the neighbor boy?

Letting her hair curl naturally and not bothering with makeup, she pulled on a light summery outfit and headed to the backyard to find out why no one was interested in listening to her lately.

"Mommy!" Lily shrieked and jumped off the swing Will had started pushing her on, landing gracefully on her feet and sprinting towards Emma, who bent to catch her in a hug, "Are you going to stay out here with me? Daddy said it was okay to talk to strangers if he said it was okay, so I met a new friend." Emma remained silent as she held Lily to her, resting her wet curls on her daughters and kissing her temple before carrying her back to the jungle gym, where Will met her with worried eyes, "Mommy, this boy is Scott," Lily pointed and then moved her index finger up, "And Scott's daddy!"

The taller blonde stretched his hand and Emma repositioned Lily to take it, "Paul Guire," He said with a smile.

"Emma," She added softly, rubbing a hand up her daughter's back and meeting Will's gaze again.

"Alright, Em?" He asked under his breath to a response of a subtly shaken head and sigh, "Later?" She nodded this time, snuggling her baby close as her little fingers found Emma's shirt collar and began stroking up and down.

"Are you Lily's mommy?" Scott asked, wide blue eyes searching hers.

"Yes, I am." She suddenly found herself smiling, much against her will, "How old are you, Scott?"

"I'm three! And I can ride my bike with no training wheels!"

"There you are!" A voice came from the Guire side of the fence, making its way closer in form of a thin blonde, "I was looking all over for the two of you," She smirked, crossing her arms over her chest.

Paul shrunk a little, excusing himself to speak with his wife as she came around to join the rest of the group. He took her hand and introduced her, "This is my wife, Sarah...Sar, this is Will, Emma and the little one is Lily."

"Oh, she's precious," Sarah sighed, "I've seen her running around and she's just too cute for words."

Emma flushed and protectively held her daughter close, "Thank you..."

In the midst of the awkwardness, Scott tugged at Emma's tank top, "Can Lily come down now?"

"Scotty!" Sarah warned, "Remember manners? We don't touch people unless they say it's okay and we ask nicely."

Scott shrugged, "Can Lily _please_ come down now?"

Emma was about to pry Lily's fingers off, but she shook her head, clutching tighter, "Sweetie, what's wrong?"

"Mommy..."

Will took note and scratched her back, "She's not going anywhere...How about you play with Scott for a little bit?"

"Will Mommy stay here?"

Emma pressed a kiss to the top of her daughter's head, whispering something in her ear and letting her slide back to the ground.

"Where's Nick?" Paul asked his wife in regard to his seven-year-old son.

"Playing Wii—"

Scott gasped, interrupting his mother, "Can Lily play Wii with me?"

Sarah ruffled his hair with one hand and patted his chest with the other, "Scotty, we don't interrupt either. And not today, alright? Nick just got home and it's his turn. Maybe Lily can come over and play Wii with you another time."

Lily shook her head, leaning against Emma's leg, "Mommy..."

"Sweetheart, you were playing just fine a few minutes ago..." Will leaned and lifted her up.

Sarah lifted her son as well, grunting at his weight, "You know what, it's about our dinner time, anyway—"

"No! Mom, I want to play with Lily! Can she—"

"Scott," Paul said a bit harsher, "That's enough. We'll play with Lily another time, alright? You've got all summer." He turned to Will and Emma, "It was very nice meeting you...thanks for letting him come over, he's been staring at this thing since it went up last week."

"Anytime," Will turned Lily in his arms so she was facing the family, "Can you say good-bye, sweetie?"

"Bye.." She mumbled, now shy, a hand rubbing the ribbed neck of Will's shirt.

"Good-bye, Lily!" Sarah smiled sadly, turning to Emma, "If she ever wants to play or...whatever...I'm home with the boys for the summer, so just stop over."

The redhead nodded, thanking the blonde couple and retreating inside with Will as they left.

He slid the door closed and kissed the top of his daughter's head, removing her shoes, "Sweetie, do you think you could go play in your room for a little while? I need to talk to Mommy."

Before she could express any concern, Emma took the girl into her arms and kissed her cheeks, then placed her feet on the floor, "It's okay. Just for a few minutes. We'll come play with you when we're done, alright?"

"You'll come get me?" Will reassured her with a nod and watched as she took a few steps to her room, pausing, "Can you reach me a toy first?"

"Of course," He followed her, leaving Emma to take a seat at the table in their yellow dining area, fiddling with her hands in her lap. He returned, sitting himself next to her, turning the chair to look her in the eyes, if she would be willing to return the gesture, "We need to resolve this. Today."

Her curls were uncharacteristically frizzing from drying in the humid air, and it took all of Will's strength to resist the urge to run his fingers through them in hopes of smoothing their problems while smoothing her hair.

"I don't know where to start," Emma pressed her lips together and finally met his eyes.

"Emma," Will let out a long breath and took one of her hands, "What just happened, out in the yard, is proof that Lily needs interaction with kids her own age. Whether that happens at a daycare or not is another point."

"She didn't even want to play with him, though."

"Yes," He said, maybe a bit louder then necessary, "Yes, she did. She only introverted when you started coddling her, Em."

"Coddling her? Will, I just picked her up because _she_ ran to _me_."

"...I don't want to be so rash, but Emma, she acts like that because you allow her to. Before you came out, she pointed out the neighbor boy and I gave her permission to talk to him. She didn't know what to say, so I went with her...She had no idea how to talk to another little kid."

"I didn't want her playing with him anyways, Will! We talked about it last week!"

"Why not, Emma? Why don't you want her to have friends? Why do you want her so socially isolated?"

"I don't, Will..." The dizzy feeling of confrontation was settling in and Emma felt her face grow red and her heart rate increase, "Oh, oh gosh..."

Will cupped her warm cheeks, "Hey, hey...this doesn't have to be an argument. It'd be much better for both of us if it weren't. But we can't just let this one slide under the table. Not when it comes to our daughter's well being. Relax...breathe..."

She did so, exhaling quite loudly and feeling the heat of anger become replaced by heat of embarrassment.

"Lily isn't a baby anymore, Em. It's time to stop treating her like one," He reached his fingers to brush a stray hair out of her face, "Last week, we said we'd see what she thought. Lily said that she wanted to come with me to see the daycare. She was obviously interested. Yes, she was scared. She didn't want to stay by herself...but don't you think that confirms that she needs it?"

Emma shook her head, "You want her to be scared?"

Will flipped the comment, "Don't you think she's going to be just as scared when we drop her off for school next year?"

He was using every possible argument she could think of against her, "I think that, Lily will be excited to go to school. This is different...this is just dropping her off at a stranger's house. And then to be demanding attention with ten other kids and babies running around screaming and crying and biting and...swearing and hitting...that's scary, Will!"

"You don't think that there's going to be kids screaming and crying and all that in preschool? Honey, you work in the school system, you know what it's like." Emma was quiet again, eyes unblinking, "Earlier, out in the yard...she was chasing Scott and laughing...sliding with him...And then you came out and picked her up, and suddenly, she was a baby again. I'm not trying to make you feel bad—"

She raised her voice, "Well, you did. Because I know it, I know that I'm a rotten mother," Will tried to interrupt, but she wouldn't have it, "I know that I've been trying to keep her sheltered from all the bad things in this world." Her words were shaky, but she kept strong, "So I'll stop trying to make sure she's safe and secure, because obviously, that's what being a parent is. Throwing your kid out into the tough street, so they can grow a backbone and do whatever they want to. Or whatever _you_ want them to."

Will detached himself from her, feeling defensive, "There's nothing wrong with wanting to protect your daughter from the world, Emma! But you've got to prepare her for it, too. Coddling her every time she's afraid of something isn't helping. Babying her to the point of giving in to her every desire _really_ isn't helping and —"

She pushed back tears, "Fine. You know what? Send her to daycare. In fact," She gave a humorless laugh, standing, prepared to push in her chair and storm to the bedroom, "Let her stay at the neighbor's for a week. Maybe they won't _baby_ her."

"Emma, stop. We don't need to do it this way."

"Doing it what way, Will? Obviously you're right," Shaking her head, she clenched and unclenched her hands into fists before blurting through a primal wave of sobs, "I know that I'm supposed to see the logic behind your argument. I know that you're the one who sees things the way they really are, but I just can't..."

"Please, Em," He pulled her arm, half expecting her to storm out of the room and slam their bedroom door shut as she usually did when they argued...why he was the one to get shut out, he wasn't sure...but he hadn't been prepared for her to fall into his lap, crying into his shirt and apologizing. Nothing she said made sense, but the constant mantra of 'sorry' was audible through her muffled tears. "Emma," He repositioned them so she straddled his lap, but in no mood to read anything into it, "Sweetheart..."

She pulled back, meeting his gaze with her watery one, wiping her cheeks with the back of her hand, "Will...I love you. And I love Lily. And I want what's best for all of us."

"What's best isn't always what's easy. You know that, you've proved it before," He dove to meet her lips in a brief kiss, "Let's prove it again." She wrapped her arms around his neck tightly, sighing as his fingers scratched along the thin material of her tank-top, "How about we talk to Lily...See what's going on in her little mind, try and get this sorted out together, as a family."

They untangled themselves and joined hands, Emma's face a little redder then she'd have liked, but sure Lily would be understanding, "Hey, sweet-pea," Will smiled as they entered the pink room, lifting his daughter back into his hold and snuggling her for a moment before making a comfortable seat on her bed, patting a space for his wife.

Emma leaned against the wall, eyes trailing Lily's face for signals of distress as Will explained the situation to the three-year-old, "Mommy and I were talking about something very important."

"Are we getting a puppy?"

"No, Lily, we're not getting a puppy."

"Am I getting a brother or sister?"

Emma choked, "No, no, no...no."

"Good," Lily nuzzled her face under Will's chin, "I don't want one."

He laughed and leaned back against the wall with his wife, one hand falling from his daughter's side to take Emma's hand, squeezing it tightly, "Well, you don't need to worry about that...But what we need to talk about is kind of grown up, okay? Do you think you can handle it?"

She nodded enthusiastically, climbing off of Will's lap and sitting between the couple, facing them, "I can handle it. I'm a big girl!"

"Yes, you are. You're three years old now, Lily...you're not a little baby anymore," He applied a bit more pressure to Emma's hand, "So we've got to do big girl things now. You know where you get to go in the fall?"

"To 'Ginia?"

Emma laughed, "No, we get to see Nana and Grandpa in a few days, silly."

"Oh yeah, I forgot," She giggled, "Do I get to go to Disney World?"

Will raised a brow, "No, no...Lily, you get to go to school in the fall, remember?" She nodded, beaming, "Well, Mommy and I want you to be ready for when it starts. That's one of the reasons we wanted you to try daycare."

"No!" Her smile faded and she reached for her security blanket next to a pillow, "Daddy, no! Mommy said I didn't have to!"

Emma bit her lip and encouraged the girl to sit on her lap, "Lily, I said that without really thinking. I need you to listen to the reasons why we want you to go. It's very important—"

"But you said! You said if I don't want to go, I don't have to! You said, Mommy, you said!"

She was verging on tears and Emma sighed sadly, "I know what I said, sweetheart. And I'm sorry, because I shouldn't have said it. Look," She tilted Lily's face to meet hers, "I know it's hard, and it's scary. I'm scared, too, Lily. I don't want to leave you, and I don't want you to be sad...but I need you to understand that sometimes we have to do things we don't want to. Things that may be a little scary, that may be hard. But you know what? Daddy and I are going to be here for you, to listen to your fears and to cuddle you...and we know...we know you're going to be okay."

Will listened, unsure if Emma was reassuring herself or her daughter, but as Lily wrapped her arms around her mother's neck, he was sure it was working.

* * *

"You," Will kissed Emma's cheek late that night, once Lily had calmed and agreed to go back to Miss Carolyn's the following day, with her mother along for the ride, "Are a great mom, you know that?"

"I guess," She pecked his lips and rolled in their bed so her head was on his chest, "I still don't like it."

"But you're willing to do what's best for your daughter. And that's what's important."

A warm kiss to her temple caused her fingers to curl around Will's shirt collar as her daughter's so often did, "I'm glad we're not fighting. I was afraid...that...this was going to have us at each other's throats for awhile."

After fighting back several inappropriate comments which would have likely earned him a slap followed by a laughing kiss, Will chose to run a hand down her arm, "I love you too much for that...I can't keep my hands off you long enough to be mad at you."

"Whenever I'm mad at you, you get all...mopey and depressed," She giggled, tilting her head up for a long kiss, "I like strong Will better."

The following morning had Lily dressed in a white polka-doted dress with shoes the colors of the dots, her curls bouncing in the pigtails Emma had tied them in as she nervously grasped her mother's hand before entering the daycare she'd visited the day prior.

"It's okay, sweetheart," Will said from behind them as Emma's knuckles met the door, "We're not leaving you here today."

She nodded bravely, shrinking a little as the door opened, revealing the same woman who had showed them around yesterday, "Hello!" She greeted, stepping aside to let the family in, "Nice to see you back!"

Lily tugged Emma's skirt, eyes pleading to be picked up, but the mother kept in mind her conversation with Will the night previous, not wanting to baby her daughter, "Sweetie, you can walk, it's okay. We're not going anywhere."

As this was the first time the little girl had been refused comfort by her mother, she promptly burst into hysterics, rubbing at her eyes as she sobbed heavily, her face hiding in her mother's skirt.

Emma made brief eye-contact with Will before crouching in front of Lily, "Honey, look at me," Lily's wet brown eyes met her own, "Remember what we said last night? About how you're a big girl now?"

She shook her head in understanding, but reached her arms around Emma anyway, "Sweetheart, look at me," Lily kept her palms on Emma's shoulders as hers found the preschooler's sides, "You're very brave, you know that? And I think that you need to show Daddy, Miss Carolyn and I just how brave you are."

"B-But I want...I want," She sniffled, trying to compose herself, "I want you to hold me."

"When we're all done, I'll hold you, okay? But for now," Emma was reassuring herself all the same she was her daughter, "We're going to get through this like a big girl."

She wiped the tears off Lily's face and resumed standing, feeling accomplished for not giving in, then turned to face the brunette in charge of the childcare center, "Hi, I'm Lily's mom, Emma."

"Carolyn, it's nice to meet you...come on in, I'll show you around, since you didn't get to see the place yesterday."

They walked through the play room again, Lily's hand firmly gripped in Emma's, "Oh, look, sweetheart, Miss Carolyn has Little People!"

The little redhead's attention was drawn to the plastic figures, which had been haphazardly tossed into a bucket with a picture label, "Is there a Robert?" She asked, nose peering over the edge of the container.

"Who is Robert?" Miss Carolyn asked, bending to meet Lily's gaze.

She squirmed, uncomfortable with her proximity, but asked nonetheless, "He's a little boy. He has yellow hair and he always has a frog."

"Oh yes," The provider answered, standing with a light chuckle, "I think there's about five or six Robert's in there."

"Wow!"

Will watched the exchange, which was a bit more reminiscent of the time Lily had spent playing with Scott the day before.

"Would you like to stay in here and play with the Little People while I talk to your Mom and Dad?"

She gasped, backing up until she was safely between her parents, shaking her head firmly.

"Lil, it's okay. We'll be right down the hall. We aren't going anywhere."

Emma ignored her mind's warning of the dozens of germy hands that had touched the plastic figures before her daughter's, "And if you need us, you can come get us, okay? We're, uh, just going to be talking about the boring, grown-up things, anyway."

"Can no other kids play with me?" Lily asked, staring at the bucket with desire.

"Oh, they're busy working on their project and the babies are napping upstairs. You'll be all by yourself."

Finally, after mentally calculating the risks and benefits of leaving her parent's sides, she agreed, sitting in front of the bucket and smiling, "Okay, come get me when you're done!"

Will kissed the top of her head, "You're such a brave girl, I'm very proud."

They traveled down the hall, Emma only looking over her shoulder once to see her daughter digging through the toys.

They sat in a small office while Carolyn handed them sets of paper and explained the daily schedule and basic costs, the discipline procedures and meals. Emma expressed a few concerns and Will nodded every so often, smiling when he noticed his wife's growing acceptance of leaving her child alone with a woman she'd never previously met.

"Well, um...what, uh...what happens when you've got a little one who get's really, really upset?"

"It depends on the kid, honestly. Most kids asking for their parents repeatedly, which is what I think you're asking, are usually comforted with cuddles and hugs, sometimes a package of fruit snacks or their choice of movie during rest time helps. Usually they calm down. I don't call the parent to talk to the child, it usually only furthers their distress."

Emma bit her lip, clearly not satisfied with the answer.

"...But I would let the parent know what went on, once they came to pick the child up...If they were so inconsolable that it lasted for an hour or more, I'd likely call the parents and speak with them myself. That just really doesn't happen around here..."

She started rambling about her certification and licensing while Emma's mind drifted back to her daughter a few rooms over, praying she wasn't melting down as they conversed.

Will tapped her shoulder after standing a few minutes later, "Coming?" He asked.

She blinked, nodding, "Yeah...O-of course."

"...This is where the older kids have rest time, and then the babies are in pack-and-plays in the next room over, but I've got some sleeping now, and I don't want to disrupt them."

Emma nodded, finding Will's hand as Miss Carolyn led them back to the playroom to collect their daughter.

All three adults raised a brow at the sight before them, as Lily sat on her knees, babbling in one of her 'character's voices and marveling at the perfectly straight columns and rows of the Little People, which had been separated by figure, then arranged by type and height (peoples and animals, tallest to shortest).

"Wow, Lil," Will sat next to her, raising a brow, "You've been busy."

"Papa! Ayudame! El pero nessicita ayuda!"

"Aye no!" He laughed, kissing the top of her head — she'd clearly been watching far to much Nick Jr. to have picked up so much Spanish, "Did you like playing in here, sweet-pea?"

"Si!" She bobbed her head, "Are we leaving?"

"You are more then welcome to stay with us for the day, sweetheart," The brunette in charge knelt next in front of the bucket of Little People, "There are a lot of kids that would love to play with you."

"No thanks!" Lily squeaked, standing and whispering to her father, "I need to go potty."

Will lifted her and Carolyn spoke, "Down the hall to the left."

As they left the room, Emma got to work scooping the toys her daughter had been playing with into their respective bucket, earning a look, "It's, um, best to do this for her, or she'll be here all day trying to do it the way she likes. We usually don't clean up for her, but..."

"Oh, it's fine, that's interesting, though...She seems to like things orderly, hm?"

"She can be a little quirky," Emma gave a fake smile, feeling a bit like she was defending her daughter, "But she's just trying to be an independent three-year-old. It's what she does. Everything is very precise."

"Understandable," She cleared her throat, "I know it's sometimes difficult to let go...let your baby be watched by strangers...but I guarantee you, Lily will be safe and well-cared for here."

"I don't doubt that," Emma sighed, putting the last of the toys away, "It's, um, it's just...hard for me...we've made it this far without daycare, but now I see that trying to always be there for her hasn't done much good."

"I wouldn't say that. The time that you've been able to have with your daughter was invaluable, and something that many parents don't get to experience. She just needs some socialization and she'll be fine."

Will re-entered with Lily giggling, her shoes on top of his as he walked, "Mommy, ready?"

She nodded, thanking Miss Carolyn and taking Lily off Will's feet, drawing her into a long hug before positioning the girl on her hip and making towards the door, "We'll be in touch," Will said with a last good-bye.

Emma felt like she was in a bad episode of _Full House_ as she and Will tucked their daughter in for the night. Their arguments were so easily resolved and their solutions pleased everyone, always ending in hugs and declaration of adoration for one another; not that she minded.

"Good night, sweetie," She pressed a kiss to the sleepy girl's forehead, "I love you."

"Do you love me too, Daddy?"

Will smiled and brushed his nose against hers, in an Uncle Jesse-esque fashion...at least he was better looking then John Stamos.

"Of course, baby girl. Sweet dreams."

They linked hands and turned out the light, closing the door most of the way, sighing in unison as they met for a short embrace before moving to the living room. Emma sat and Will rested his head in her lap, her fingers working their magic on his curls, "Mm, Em..."

She smiled widely, working her other hand up his t-shirt, tracing circles on his chest, "I was thinking a full body massage before we leave in the morning...wouldn't want you all tense for the long drive," She winked, making him groan, "I'll take that as a yes?"

He wrapped an arm around her as her fingertips on his chest and scalp were replaced with nails, "Em..."

Emma kissed Will's forehead and patted his chest, removing her hands, "...Maybe we should go to bed..."

"...Yeah," He chuckled, sitting up and maneuvering so she was in his hold, taking long strides to their room, "Bed...or something like that."

* * *

Slow updates are slow. As always. Thanks for the patience.

Apologies for the OC's. I know we all hate them. But sometimes, you need extra individuals to build on the main characters. We won't be seeing too much more of them.

Thank you for reading! _I'm thinking some smexytimes are in order for next chapter..._


	3. Chapter Three

A ten hour drive with Lily usually meant a twelve hour drive with Lily.

"Daddy," She whined in the backseat, "Can we take a break?"

Will checked the time on the radio — not even a quarter past seven in the morning — and eyed his daughter in the rearview mirror of the family's silver Pacifica, "Sweetie, we've barely been driving for an hour...do you need to use the bathroom?"

She twisted a frayed edge of her security blanket around her finger, "No..."

"Then no, we're not going to make a stop yet."

Emma agreed, "Honey, we want to make it to Nana and Grandpa's house before bed, this time, okay?" She twisted in her seat to meet her daughter's brown orbs, a sad smile playing on her lips as she referenced the horror that had been their drive to her parent's home over Christmas break. A late departure, snowstorm and Lily's then two-year-old self caused them to arrive shortly before midnight.

"But Mommy," She kicked her little foot, eyes welling up, "I-I don't feel so good."

"Oh, gosh," Emma's eyes grew wide and Will immediately pulled over to the right, grassy side of the highway, "Lily, what doesn't feel good?"

She brought her fists to her eyes, trying to rub the tears out as Emma unbuckled and maneuvered to the backseat to do the same for her daughter, "M-my t-tummy hurts! And...and...and I...I don't feel good!"

"What kind of tummy ache is it? Do you feel like it's just hurting or do you think you're going to—"

The first of several dry-heaves was enough to find Emma swinging the door open and moving her daughter out of the car seat at an unprecedented speed. She held the little girl at an awkward angle, wincing and gaging herself as she proceeded to projectile vomit into the short ditch. It had been a bit more tolerable when her daughter was an infant, the spew looked the same coming out as when it went in, now...

Will had appeared moments after the retching started, taking her small frame so Emma could dig for something to clean up with once she was done.

A minute or two passed and Lily's breakfast and dinner from the night before were now in the grass while she cried onto Will's shoulder, clinging tightly, "Sweetie-pie, it's okay..." He rubbed her back soothingly as Emma pulled a baby wipe from her bag, cupping Lily's chin to remove any traces of the sick.

"I-I want...water..." She mumbled, reaching for her mother, who gladly folded her daughter back into her hold, "Please, Daddy?"

He nodded, moving to the cooler in the back of the vehicle for a sippy-cup that had been filled before they left, "Here you go, baby."

She took it thirstily, leaning her head against Emma's collarbone while drinking, "Slow down, honey," Emma stroked her hair softly, kissing her forehead and whispering, "You'll just get sick again if you drink too fast." Lily took the cup from her mouth and sighed, "Feeling okay again, sweetie? Can we start driving again or do you want a few minutes?"

"Few minutes," She responded, wrapping tighter around her mother.

Will shook his head at the sight, rubbing the back of his knuckles along Lily's cheek, "You just want to snuggle with Mommy, hm?"

"She's alright," Emma ran her fingertips over the top of her head, "Do you think you felt sick just from the road? Or do you still feel sick?"

"Road," She whispered, "Mommy, can you sit back with me?"

Emma felt herself and Lily being pulled to a firm embrace as Will's chin rested on the top of her head, "Of course I can...Maybe we can get you to fall asleep for a little bit, okay?" Lily nodded, still clutched around her mother who placed a warm kiss to her forehead, "Can we get driving?"

She nodded once more; Will opened the side door, taking her and buckling her in, pressing a kiss to her forehead and moved to the driver's seat. Emma buckled next to her daughter, taking off her bitty pink sandals and rubbing her pale, freckled legs.

The mini-redhead found her hands mindlessly playing with her mother's fingers as she babbled in typical three-year-old fashion about giraffes and semi-trucks and the "bad guy was going to get me, but he didn't," that required all of Will and Emma's self-control not to burst out laughing.

"So what happened to the bad guy, Lil?" Will questioned.

"Well, he had to go potty, so the monsters tricked him, and the giraffes were all safe because they went into the semi-truck and drove all the way home!"

"That's a very interesting story," Emma commented, brushing Lily's wild hair from her face, "You still feeling alright, sweetheart?"

She nodded and yawned, twisting in her seat to face her mother, "Mommy, don't ever leave me alone with the bad guys, okay? Because they are really mean."

Emma kissed her forehead again, "Don't worry, sweetie, I won't ever leave you alone...especially with the bad guys."

Lily yawned once more, "I think I'm going to take a nap now..."

"Sweet dreams, baby..." The older redhead whispered, pulling her daughter's security blanket around her frame and sighing, meeting Will's eyes in the mirror.

Only ten hours to go.

* * *

"Hi, sweet—oh," Mrs. Pillsbury silenced herself upon seeing her daughter with a sleeping preschooler over her shoulder as she opened the door to the Virginia home around seven-thirty that evening, "Want to take her upstairs?" She whispered.

Emma nodded and didn't bother to toe her shoes off as she carried Lily to her former bedroom, opening the door with her elbow and resting her own daughter on the freshly made bed, kissing her cheek and rubbing the little girl's belly before clicking the door shut as quietly as possible.

Will was engulfed in a large hug from her mother as Emma made her way back to the foyer, where her sister and brother's wife had also gathered, "Hey, Em!" Annie beamed, stretching her arms out for her younger sibling to walk into, "I've missed you like crazy!"

Emma sighed, melting into her sister's hold, "I've missed you, too, Ann...Hey, Leah," She said with a soft smile, blowing her bangs out of her eyes as she moved to accept her mother's embrace as well, "Hi, Mom..."

"Oh, Emma...You look exhausted, baby..."

With another dramatic intake of breath, she agreed, "Long, long drive...Lily was carsick one minute, then throwing a fit the next...I rode in the back with her almost the whole time because she was just too crabby...Now she's finally been sleeping for more than a half hour...I'm hoping she'll just sleep through the night."

"You two hungry?" Mrs. Pillsbury asked, as Will dragged in the last of their luggage, "We've got plenty left from dinner."

"Yes," Will said enthusiastically, causing the ladies to giggle.

The women moved to the kitchen, with the exception of Emma, who met Will's gaze wearily, stretching and wrapping her arms around his neck.

He groaned and buried his face in her hair, "I love you," He said out of nowhere, just needing to remind his wife of his feelings.

"Mm, I love you..." She leaned to close the distance between their lips, her eyes closing in bliss before they were rudely interrupted by Emma's brother.

"God, take that shit upstairs...there are kids here." Will pulled away and Emma scrunched her face, kicking Kevin's shin with toe of her shoe, "Ow, Christ, Emmie...Good to see you, sis."

She smiled in satisfaction, "Good to see you, too, Kev. Where are your monsters?"

"Outside with Dad...he wanted to see you when you got in...I'll go tell him you're here, just because I'm such a nice brother."

Emma rolled her eyes as he walked away, meeting Will's mouth once more until —

"Uncle Will! Aunt Emma!" A chorus rang from their elementary-aged nieces and nephews, the younger of which attacked their legs, "You're here! Where's Lily?"

"She's sleeping, guys..." Will returned a few hugs, ushering the group away from the stairwell in hopes that his daughter would stay asleep.

They stepped into the kitchen, where Emma's mother was reheating dinner for the couple, "Once I'm done with this, I'll set up the pull-out couch in your dad's office for Lily, if you want to grab her—"

"Oh," Emma sat at the table, staring blankly at the space ahead of her, "She can sleep with us. She's fine."

Annie found a seat next to her, "Mm, start bad habits the first day of break? Come on, Em, she's three, you're—"

"Perfectly capable of making decisions regarding my daughter's sleep patterns, actually."

Will cringed as he stood behind his wife, hands moving to massage her shoulders, causing her to groan and rest her head in her arms, "Well, pardon me for trying to talk to my sister—"

"Look, I'm tired and moody and the last thing I want to do is start an argument—"

"—You're attacking me because you're afraid I'm right, Em—"

"—No, I'm attacking you because you can't tell me what to do with my kid!" Her voice was angry and passionate as she defended her daughter.

Annie's became flustered and loud, the brief spat suddenly taking a nasty toll, "You don't know what you're doing half the time anyway! That's why you call me all the time, isn't it? Because I know it all? What's the difference between that and now?"

"The difference is that usually I call asking for your opinion, not to have you tell me what to do! And I'm sick of you telling—"

"Woah, woah," Ed Pillsbury took a moment to take in the sight of his thirty-something-year-old daughter's fighting like teenagers, "Are we back in high school? Who stole whose jeans?"

Both redheads, true to their common misconception, turned away from one another in fury, Will's hands still connected to Emma's shoulders as she huffed, suddenly hearing a howl from upstairs and a rattling of a door. She shot from the seat, following behind her husband as they took the steps two at a time until they reached her former bedroom, where Lily was frantically trying to pull the door open, crying loudly.

"Lil," Will said through the crack, "Settle down, back up sweetie." He pushed hard while pressing the lever, hearing the sound of paint unsticking from humidity as Lily ran into Emma's outstretched arms, crying for what felt like the hundredth time that day.

"Sweetie, it's okay, it's okay, honey...we're here, Lily...we're at Nana and Grandpa's house, it's okay, sweet-pea, sh..." She rocked her slowly as Lily's head twitched in sobs against her chest while she gained her sense of where she was, "Was that scary, honey?"

She nodded, gripping to Emma's tank-top collar and sighing, "I thought you were gone and I was at a bad guy's house...and...I couldn't get out and...there was yelling and..."

Emma sighed, continuing to rub her back and sway to comfort her daughter, "Oh, shh, it's okay, come on...want to go eat? Nana's making something for us."

Lily nodded and reached for Will to take her, wrapping her arms tightly around him, she whispered, "I'm glad you didn't leave me."

"Hey, what did we say earlier, hm? We won't ever leave you, baby."

"So you still love me?" She squeaked while they moved down the stairs.

"Of corse, Lily."

They stepped back into the kitchen, where Annie had been replaced by Kevin, who sat next to her father, "Hi, Emma..." Ed said with a soft smile as his daughter approached him with a hug, muttering an apology for her behavior prior to their proper greeting, "And Lily...Will."

"Say hi, Lil?" Will prompted his little girl who turned into him shyly, still tired and terrified, "Sweetie, it's okay...It's just Grandpa."

"No..." Lily mumbled, her fingers brushing repeatedly over the ridges on his polo, "Daddy..."

He kissed the top of her head and sat next to his father-in-law, letting Lily snuggle into his chest, "What's wrong? Still a little scared?"

She didn't speak and Ed clicked his tongue, "That door's been sticking like that since the beginning of time. Always in the summer, soon as it heats up...I'm sorry you got stuck, kiddo...Can you forgive me?"

Finally relaxing, Lily nodded, scrambling from Will's lap to her grandfathers, winding her arms around his neck, "I love you, Gran'pa,"

He kissed her cheek, "I love you, too, pumpkin...Looks like your Nana's got a plate all set for you. How about you take a seat next to your Mommy and eat up? Then maybe we can play outside before bed."

Lily agreed, scampering to the chair between her parents and thanking her grandmother with a kiss hello, "Can I please have juice?"

Mrs. Pillsbury smiled widely, "Can you drink out of a big girl cup?"

"Well, Mommy doesn't like it, but I can sometimes."

Emma cringed, "Hers are all buried, it'll be fine, if she's careful."

"Thank you," Lily squeaked as she was given a glass, "Mommy, can you cut my noodles, please?"

"Someone's using very nice manners," Mr. Pillsbury commented, watching as his daughter sliced the pasta into manageable bites for a three-year-old.

"Mommy always says that you have to say 'please' and 'thank you' when you ask for something. And 'sorry' when you hurt somebody, even if it was an accident. And if you throw a fit, you go in cool-down time and then you have to talk about it. But you always get a hug, right Mommy?"

Emma kissed her head with a smile as she rattled off the 'rules,' "That's right, sweet-pea. But we don't throw fits anymore, right? Because big girls use their words when they want something."

"Right!"

Will ate silently as he watched the exchange tiredly, wanting nothing more then to curl up with his wife with their daughter between them, "How about your tummy, baby? Feeling alright?"

She'd experienced another touch of queasiness when they drove through the mountains, but both parents were sure it was due to motion sickness rather than an oncoming stomach bug, "I feel pretty good, Daddy. "

Kevin also observed his niece's behavior as she spoke and ate, not unlike her own mother, neat and polite, clingy and persuasive, "So, Lil, did you just have a birthday?" He questioned with a swig of beer.

"Yeah! Mommy and Daddy got me a jungle gym! And Scott came over to play on it!"

"Oh, who's Scott? Your boyfriend?"

"What's a boyfriend?" Lily blinked at her uncle, "He's just a little boy. He's three and he can ride his bike with no training wheels!"

"Bad boy, huh? Guess your not as much like your mom as I thought," The only Pillsbury son teased, causing his youngest sister to roll her eyes.

"Knock it off, Kev. We've got new neighbors—"

"Oh, oh no!" A cry came from down the table as Lily's juice had spilled from the open cup, dribbling into the lap of her white shorts, earning a wail as she turned to her mother and Mrs. Pillsbury stood to grab a few rags to mop the purple liquid, "Mommy!"

Tears leaked from her brown eyes as her lip quivered and her arms stretched to her mother, who sighed, scooting her chair back, "It's okay, it's okay, sweetie...Just juice. We can, um...maybe we can clean it up...but you know what? It's no big deal."

Will moved as well, taking the rags from his mother-in-law and dabbing her fabric-covered legs before worrying about the table or floor as the three-year-old sputtered apologies and cried into her hands as her mother stroked her hair, "So much for dinner," Will muttered, "How about we get you in the tub now, hm? Then we'll just go to bed, okay?" Lily nodded, arms extended to be picked up by him, her food forgotten as Emma moved to soak up the rest of the juice on the floor, "I'll start the water and get her out of these clothes...met us up with her pajamas?" Emma nodded, sighing as the little girl continued to sniffle and cry over the mess she made.

"Like mother like daughter," Kevin commented as his sister continued to wipe the table and chair, "That was just like one of your old freakouts, Emmie."

Her eyes grew dark, and once more, she lashed out at her sibling, "Do you think that it's fun to deal with things like this, Kevin? Because I've got news for you, it's not. You know what? You're the reason all this started in the first place, so don't you dare even start pinning me as a bad mother. Let me tell you right now, there's no way on this earth that you would ever win any sort of award for parenting."

She tossed the rag down in a fury, marching to collect as many bags as she could carry up the stairs and dug around until she found something to dress her daughter in for the night, then stepped into the bathroom where Lily had calmed considerably, soaking contently in the bathtub, letting Will suds her hair.

"Hey," Emma breathed, sitting on the edge of the tub and meeting her husband's worried gaze.

"What happened?"

"Kevin being his usual self...only saying something about my kid instead of me...honestly, why are we here?"

Will sighed, fingers mindlessly weaving shampoo into Lily's curly locks, "Em, sweetie...Listen, you don't have to take attacks about yourself or your daughter, from either of your siblings. That's just not acceptable. But, you do love them and want to spend time with them; so maybe in the morning a long talk will be in the works."

Emma watched Lily's expression fade from relaxed to scared, "Mommy, are you mad at me? I'm sorry, my arm moved and I forgot I put the cup there and—"

"No, sweetie," She cupped the girl's wet face, smiling sadly, "You've done nothing wrong. No need to apologize for something you didn't do."

"M-my shorts?" Her bottom lip trembled and Emma shook her head.

"Nope, I'm not worried about them. You've got lots of pairs, Lily. If the juice doesn't come out, it doesn't come out. I'm not mad at you. Accidents happen, sweetie."

Once she was clean and wrapped in a warm towel, Emma and Will each took quick turns in the shower, and once the family had all brushed their teeth and found appropriate pajamas, Emma pulled the covers of her former bed back, not caring that it was only eight-thirty at night and she was going to sleep at the same time as her daughter.

Will dropped Lily in the space that would be between her parents, then stepped around the bed to meet his wife in a passionate – yet innocent enough for their preschooler to witness – kiss, arms winding around her as he rested his forehead to hers, then crawled to the other side, nestling next to his daughter and nodding for Emma to lay next to them both.

She smiled, climbing in and wrapping an arm around Lily, eyes meeting her husbands before the three of them fell asleep.

* * *

"Oh, my sleeping beauties!" Mrs. Pillsbury chided as Emma held Lily's hand while the two Schuester ladies made their way down the stairs at nearly nine-thirty the following morning, both still in pajamas and hair less-than tame, "I'm guessing you're well-rested by now?"

Emma yawned, but nodded nonetheless, "Thirteen hours...always feels nice."

"Mommy, can you please pick me up?" Lily asked, arms stretched as Emma complied, lifting the tiny redhead and meeting her mother on the couch, settling her daughter in her arms as her little fingers instinctively went to her shirt collar.

"How are you, peanut?" Mrs. Pillsbury asked, tickling her youngest granddaughter's cheek, "How's my big girl?"

She giggled, "Good, Nana...Mommy I'm _really_ hungry."

"Well, since you haven't eaten much since Wednesday, I guess that can be expected, hm? What would you like?"

"Just toast, please! With peanut butter and jelly?"

Emma kissed her forehead while the tiny hands continued to play with the lace around her neck, "Of course, if that's all you want...and we'll get your sippy-cup out for today, alright? No more accidents." Mrs. Pillsbury pressed her lips together at her daughter's suggestion, but kept quiet.

"Mommy? Where'd Daddy go?" Lily questioned, stretching as the three generations of Pillsbury woman moved to the kitchen.

"He's talking to your Grandpa in his office, sweetie. They'll be out in a little while."

Emma swallowed, knowing her father only called her husband to talk alone when it was about her. She always wondered what the important men in her life said about her when she wasn't around. Shaking the thought, she took the slices of bread from her mother and placed Lily on the edge of the counter, letting her press the button to start warming the toast.

"Where are all the kids?" Lily asked, surprised at the quiet nature of her grandparent's home.

"Oh, your Aunt Annie and Aunt Leah took them to an event in the park this morning. I wasn't really sure what it is, but they were all running around screaming for the better part of eight AM, and I thought it would be good to get them out of the house. Sorry you weren't awake to go with them, peanut, but now you can have your parents and grandparents all to yourself until they get back."

Lily reached for her grandmother to snuggle her, "I miss you, Nana."

"Oh," Mrs. Pillsbury kissed her temple, "I miss you too, baby girl. I wish we were closer. Every time I see you, you're so much bigger!"

"That's 'cause I'm three!"

Emma watched the exchange, after last night, she wasn't so sure that she was upset over living so far away from her family.

"Hey," Will crept into her line of vision and Emma smiled widely, pacing the tile to wrap herself around him, "Good morning, beautiful," He whispered, kissing her mouth and rubbing his nose against hers, "Sleep good?"

She nodded, resting her face in the crook of his neck as his hands trailed up and down her back, "What were you talking about?"

"Oh, nothing major," Will said in a tone that meant he would tell her later, spotting his daughter charging for them, "Hey, sweet-pea!"

"Hi, Daddy!" She pleaded to be picked up, snuggling between them as they squished her giggling frame, "Mommy, you're squeezin' me!"

The toaster 'dinged,' signaling the little girl's breakfast was ready, "Oh, there's your food, baby," Emma kissed her cheek and moved to put the requested spreads on the browned bread, cutting it into manageable pieces for her small three-year-old, "Go wash your hands, Lil, then you may eat."

She scrambled to the bathroom and returned to climb into a seat minutes later, munching happily as Emma retreated to dig out a cup for her daughter, "Hi, Gran'pa!" Lily waved as the eldest Pillsbury entered the room, planting a kiss on the top of his granddaughter's head and taking a seat next to her as Will slid out of the room to locate his wife, still reeling from the conversation he'd just taken part of with his father-in-law.

He closed the door to his wife's former room and leaned against it, watching as she dug through bags, less organized than she would have liked, given the week they had prior to leaving, he wasn't surprised, "Sweetheart?"

"What were you talking to my dad about?" She asked without meeting his eyes.

Will sighed, sitting on the edge of the bed, still sporting pajama pants, "Your parents are worried."

"About?" Emma raised a brow, pausing her search in locating Lily's sippy-cup and moving in front of him, taking one of his hands before positioning herself in his lap, "Us? Lily? What, Will?"

"Mostly you and...I guess Annie told him about you not wanting to put Lily in daycare and then there was the whole argument..._arguments_ last night with your siblings...he's just worried, about us, actually. Wants to make sure that at least you and I are still on the same page."

Emma smiled sadly, "We are, right? I mean, we fixed this last week? I'm giving in, sending her to daycare, to be with kids her own age...Is there anything we're not on the same page about?" He didn't meet her eyes and Emma twisted so she was straddling him, "Will? What else? Tell me."

He took both her hands now, lacing their fingers together, "Well, you know how we talked about...extending the family? And I don't want anything you don't want, Emma, really. I know you don't want to have another baby. But...I don't know. He just got me thinking about it."

"About how you _do_ want another one?"

Will dropped their hands cupped her cheeks, "I don't want one if you don't want one. Okay? I just...that's what we talked about...You know, I probably shouldn't have even brought it up—"

"No, no, um...I'm glad you did, Will. We both know that physically, I could have another baby...the doctors said the complications last time were from a variety of circumstances that wouldn't likely happen again...but mentally? Will, I'm just...I'm a mess. Let's face it, I'm just a mess."

"No," Will pressed their foreheads together, "Sweetheart, no, you're not. Think of how far you've come in the past five years, alright? Just...you're not a mess. You're beautiful and I love you...no matter what mental state you're in. God, Em...I just...I love you—"

She cut him off with a kiss, laughing into it and tugging up on his t-shirt, "Oh, I know you do. Now how about you show it?"

He had no objections to this as she pressed his back against the mattress, lowering her body to his and skimming her fingers over his chest. Their lips locked, Emma giggling into the kiss while Will's hands found themselves tangled in her hair, winding around the strands and tugging in a way that made her groan and arch her upper body into his, pulling away from his face and ripping her tank-top off.

"You want to play dirty now, hm?" Will dragged a finger along her thin side, causing goosebumps to rise on her skin. He propped himself on his elbows and leaned up, clamping his teeth gently around her collarbone, earning another satisfied moan from Emma as she leaned her head back, pressing Will's head against her.

"Will..." She panted as his mouth trailed from below her neck to her naval, his tongue tasting her soft skin as her hands rested in his curls, "Oh, please..."

"Please what?" He smirked, dipping back up to place more kisses to her chest and neck.

"Please..." His fingers dove beneath the waistband of her pants, "Will..."

"Please, _what_, Emma?" He paused all movement, meeting her eyes, teasing her senselessly.

"T-touch me," She stuttered, hands guiding his movements back below her waist.

"Mhm," He shuffled both pairs cotton bottoms down, leaving her in nothing, "It'll be my pleasure.

* * *

"Mommy's takin' an awful long time getting my cup," Lily declared as she swallowed her last bite of toast, "Maybe she needs help—"

Ed cleared his throat and stopped the little girl before she could climb up the steps and be scared for life, "You know what, kiddo? You're a big girl, let's just use one of Grandma's okay?"

"But yesterday I spilled it!"

His wife lifted the three-year-old back to her seat, finding a cup and filling it halfway with juice, "We'll be a little more careful this time, alright? You're a big girl now, and big girls don't use sippy-cups. We'll talk to Mommy about it later."

Lily blinked, "But...Mommy doesn't..." She stopped, staring at the open ring of liquid, afraid to pick it up, "I don't want to, Nana. I need to wash my hands."

Ed sighed, watching his granddaughter was like watching her mother, "Honey, is that your Mommy's rule?

"Everybody has to do it, Gran'pa!" He nodded and let Lily go to the bathroom, then announce, "All finished!" Once she returned.

"Want to play, kiddo?"

"Well, I have to find Mommy. We need to get dressed! Daddy, too...I wonder where he went!" She stepped back towards the stairs but was picked up before she could make it to the first one.

"How about we play a game, okay? You can get dressed in a little while, we're not going anywhere."

She thought it through then curled her arms around his neck, resting her face on his shoulder and sighing.

Almost a full hour later, Emma descended the staircase, fully clothed — her shoulders covered to hide the numerous bite marks she'd received during the course of romping with Will — carrying a few items to change her daughter into.

Lily sprung from her seat on the floor, nearly tripping over her grandfather's leg as she sprinted into Emma's arms, "Hi, sweet-pea..."

"Mommy, you took a really long time!"

She stifled a laugh and rested Lily on her hip, "Sorry, Lil...what are you playing with Grandpa, hm?"

"We're having a riveting time of lining up legos by color," He said a bit sarcastically, standing to greet his daughter good morning with a kiss to the top of her head, "Someone doesn't quite understand the building process yet."

"Oh, she can...she just likes to sort them before she builds them," Emma responded, not catching on to how like her own behavior it was.

Mrs. Pillsbury blinked on the couch as Emma moved to sit next to her, setting Lily on her feet and lifting her arms to slip her pajama top off and replace it with a pink, elephant patterned tank top, then doing the same with her shorts, changing them to jean ones with little pink bows on the sides of each pocket.

"She can't dress herself yet?" Emma's mother asked, handing the hairbrush her daughter brought down to her, watching as she gently worked it through the youngest redhead's curls.

"Um..." Emma didn't know how to answer and was glad Will made his entrance so she could dodge the question.

"Daddy —Ouch!" Lily called, snapping her head back as Emma still had a grip on her hair, "Mommy, that hurts!"

"So sorry, baby...You know how it is," She said with a tired sigh as she wrapped a rubber band around Lily's red curls in an attempt to keep them off her face, "There you go."

She rushed into Will's hold, happy to let him run a hand up and down her spine, "Daddy, where did you go?"

"Finding your cup," He joked, pulling the purple drinking device from behind his back, causing Lily's eyes to widen.

"Yeay! Can I have juice?"

"Of course, sweetie," He took her to the kitchen and Mrs. Pillsbury took the moment to confront her youngest.

"Honey, I don't want to tell you how to raise your child—"

"Then don't," Emma huffed, folding the ballerina-patterned pajamas.

Mrs. Pillsbury took her hand, making Emma look at her as she stated, "I think you're babying her, dear."

Emma rolled her eyes at her mother for the first time since she was a teenager, "You know, I didn't come here to be attacked by my family."

"Sweetie, we're not trying to attack you. We're just trying to give you advice! This is your first time being a parent, and sometimes it helps to listen to people with experience in the area."

"But mom, I don't remember asking for your advice. I know what I'm doing. I'm doing what's best for my daughter and husband. I don't need your opinion to know that. You see us all of three times a year, how could you possibly know how to do any better then me?"

Mrs. Pillsbury opened and closed her mouth, "Let me just make a few observations that I've noticed in the past twelve hours, alright? Then I'll be finished."

Again, Emma rolled her eyes but allowed her mother to continue before seeking out her husband and daughter for comfort, "First of all, a three-year-old does not need to, for any circumstances, sleep with her parents. They also don't need sippy cups, and they can dress and walk for themselves."

"Is that it?" Emma asked, standing and crossing her arms over her chest.

Mrs. Pillsbury sighed, "Yes...I'm sorry if that upset you to hear, but..."

She turned on her heal and met her husband in the kitchen, who was busy tickling his daughter on the floor as she laughed so hard there were tears in her eyes, "Mommy!" She reached up, "Help, Mommy!"

Emma had to laugh as she scooped the girl in her arms and turned away from Will, "Don't worry, I'll protect you from mean, _old_ Daddy."

Will pouted and let his arms circle his wife from behind, pecking her cheek and poking his daughter's belly once more, "Daddy!"

"Okay," He laughed, spinning them, "I'll stop." He noticed Emma's expression and sighed, "What is it sweetheart?"

"More fabulous parenting advice, from my mother, this time. I'm just about done with this, Will."

He looked down then back at her, shrugging and placing a hand on her back and the other on Lily, "How about, once everyone gets back, I'll talk to them, okay? Ask them to stop dolling out advice and leave the subject of parenting alone?"

She agreed. As lunchtime rolled around and Emma's siblings brought home sub sandwiches for the family, she camped out in her room, reading a book to Lily while Will discussed the issue with them as gently as he could.

Annie knocked and let herself in, smiling sadly as she watched her sister meet her gaze and improvised the story a little, "And then the Mad Hatter said to a little girl named Lily, 'Why don't you go downstairs for lunch and your Mommy will meet you in a few minutes?'" Causing the little redhead to laugh and scoot off her mother's lap.

"I'll see you down there in a minute!" She squeaked and left the room, leaving Annie to sit on the edge of the bed near her sister.

"Ann," Emma started, "I don't want to fight with you."

"I don't want to fight with you either, Emma," Annie sighed and avoided her sister's gaze, "I'm sorry. You're right, I have no place to offer my suggestions or advice if you don't ask for them. Lily is your daughter and how you raise her is up to you."

"Even though you think I'm doing a terrible job?" Emma asked, clearing her throat and hiding behind bangs that fell in her face.

"I never said that."

"But you're not denying that I am," She whispered, swallowing a lump in her throat.

"Emma, I think there are some things that you could be doing differently, but I don't want you to feel like I'm trying to rip you apart. I know you love Lily more than you can express. And I'd never want to encourage you to try something you weren't completely comfortable with, especially if it affects your daughter."

Continuing on the defensive, Emma hissed, "Well, what do you think I could be doing differently? Obviously you're the—"

"Stop, stop," Annie scooted closer and forced her sister to meet her brown eyes, "Emma, I love you, okay? And I love Lily and I love Will. You're my favorite people with the exception of my own family on the face of the earth. And I only want what's best for you. I think that you could stop treating her like a baby, she isn't one anymore." Emma swallowed a lump in her throat and forced tears from falling, and this act did not go unnoticed by her sister. "Em?"

"...I just don't want her to grow up," Emma finally admitted, both to herself and out loud, "I...I want her to stay my little girl."

"Oh, Emma," Annie sighed and pulled her into a warm embrace, "Sweetheart..."

"And...Will wants another baby, but he says that it's all up to me...and I want another one, Ann. I want to have another baby." Emma didn't think it through before she said it, but once the words came out of her mouth, she knew they were true, "But mentally?" She sighed and shook against her sister, "I don't...I can't do it. I can't put another child what I put Lily through and...I can't feel the way I did. It just wasn't right, Ann."

Their hold on one another only grew stronger as Emma let her tears roll down her cheeks and her sister run her hands through her hair, "Emma, honey...I don't...I don't really know what to say. All I know was, it got easier each time, not physically, but...I knew what to expect. That's...that's really...Oh, Em..."

She cried for several more minutes before pulling herself together and out of her sister's arms, "Okay...well, let's just...go eat. I'm starving."

Annie took her hand and tugged her down the stairs, where once Lily caught sight of her mother from the corner of her eye, she bounced from her seat to tackle her in a hug, "Mommy, I missed you," She piped, giggling as she was lifted into her safe arms, "Mommy, what's wrong?" Lily brushed the streaks of tears that had run down Emma's face and kissed her cheek, "Are you okay, Mommy?"

Emma nodded and nuzzled Lily's hair with her nose, "I'm fine, sweet-pea...Are you all done eating?"

"No, Daddy's cuttin' it up 'cause it was real hard to eat. My hands are too little!"

Emma laughed looked over her brother and sister-in-law's heads at the table to see Will cutting a submarine sandwich into pieces for his daughter, glancing up with a worried look in his wife's direction.

"Everything cool?" He murmured as she slid into the empty seat next to him.

She nodded, lips pressed together in a look that said she'd explain it all later.

* * *

The week passed by slower than usual. The tension from all the outbursts had everyone on alert before they opened their mouths to speak to the youngest Pillsbury. However, they were still managing to have a good time, the kids played together for most of the day while the adults went shopping or sat around talking with lovely beverages.

"Gran'pa, come on!" Lily giggled, pulling Ed by his hand into the kitchen, "Color with me!" He stood teasingly still, refusing to budge, "Gran'pa!"

"Oh Ed, stop teasing the poor thing and spend the last day with your granddaughter before we don't see her again until Christmas!" Mrs. Pillsbury chided from the stove as Lily started to actually grow frustrated.

"Alright, alright, come on, pumpkin." She squeaked in excitement and scrambled up a stool, kicking her legs merrily as she was presented with a coloring book from her grandmother, "So what are we coloring today?"

Meanwhile, Emma had pulled Will into her old bedroom by his collar after he stepped out of the bathroom, laughing as she closed the door and slammed his back against it in a ferocious kiss.

"Geeze, Em," Will moaned as she nipped on his jaw, "You're so feisty. I like it."

"Mhm," Her arms circled his neck and pulled him forward so she could maneuver to wrap her legs around his waist, "Will..."

He lowered her to the bed, draping himself over her and meeting her lips repeatedly, long and slow, gentle and fueled solely by adoration for one another.

Their make-out session lasted for nearly fifteen minutes and Emma's lips were puffy and hair was a mess from Will's fingers constantly raking through and tugging it, "Do we have time to keep going?" She murmured, "Because...I really don't want to stop..."

"If we're quick and you don't want to clean up afterwords," He laughed into her mouth as his fingers slid up her tank-top, stroking the smooth skin under her bra.

"I could skip the shower," She sighed as his hand slid up to cup the lump beneath the fabric, making her groan and tip her head backwards, "I'm excited for daycare to start next week," She purred as he moved his other hand up for the same treatment.

"Oh, yeah?" He laughed, thumbs brushing over the pink nubs forming beneath her wispy top, "Ready to let go?"

Emma traced a line from his temple to his lip, "Not yet, you're not _that_ good," She winked and giggled, biting her lip playfully, causing his lips to descend on her neck with a growl.

"Aunt Emma!" A loud banging on the door threw them apart as she sat up, finger combing her hair and Will answered the door to reveal his twin nephews.

"What can I do for you, boys?"

He answered the question himself once he heard the sounds of his daughter crying from downstairs.

"Lily freaked out and wants you guys," One of the redheaded boys announced, "She's crying for her mom, so Grandma sent us—"

Emma ignored the explanation as she took the steps two at a time, hoping her daughter wasn't hurt, "Oh, sweetie," She sighed, catching sight of the blotchy red face that was reaching for her in her father's arms, "Come here," The three-year-old attached herself firmly around her mother as she tried to calm her, "Sh, it's okay, it's okay..."

Her hysterics soothed as she found her mother's collar, playing with the ruffles and sniffing while tears continued to spill down her face.

"What happened, baby?" Emma sat next to Ed, sighing as Lily tried to explain through a lump in her throat.

"We were coloring and she missed the paper," Mr. Pillsbury shrugged, pointing to a small line of washable Crayola that had wound up on the countertop, "And then she just...melted."

"Lily, sweet-pea," Emma kissed her nose, pulling her to meet her eyes, "Accidents happen, remember? It's okay...you know what?"

"Wh-what?" She sobbed, hands still attached to Emma's shirt.

"It comes off," Emma whispered as if it were a magical secret.

Lily hid her face between her mother's breasts and sighed, feeling the weight lift off her tiny shoulders, "Mommy, can we go home now?"

Ed laughed and watched as his youngest daughter nurtured her own with kisses to her forehead, "You don't want to spend more time with your grandpa?" He teased, trying to tickle his granddaughter who was having none of it as she whined and kept her face on Emma's chest. He made to look at Emma who met his eyes apologetically.

"Sorry about that," She said on behalf of her daughter.

"Nothing I'm not used to, Ladybug," He positioned a stray strand of hair behind her ears, "Kind of like going back twenty years and watching you meltdown, over absolutely nothing, actually...it's exactly like that."

Suddenly, Emma brought up the same front she had taken down their second day in Virginia, "Are you trying to imply something, dad?"

"Emma, you love your daughter and there is no denying that. I'm so happy that you were able to let someone in enough to provide you with the ability to nurture a child...but if you want to raise her right, I think..." He sighed, trying to break the revelation to his daughter as gently as possible, "Sweetheart, she's a mini-you in every way. She's sweet, funny, lovable...loving...but...Honey, I think she has OCD."

"Excuse me?" Emma snapped, standing and positioning Lily on her hip, clueless to the conversation about her potential mental state, "...I can't...I can not even believe...that you would accuse...my daughter...of having a mental disorder...there's...you..." She felt the room spinning as her anger started to boil, "Oh, oh gosh..."

"Em?" Will stepped further into the room from where he had been watching the exchange in the doorway. Taking note of her expression and increased breathing, he quickly passed Lily to his father-in-law and sat Emma down, guiding her head between her knees and rubbing her back, "We've got a long drive home," He attempted to distract her from the topic with the first notion that popped into his head, "I hope we can make it before midnight, otherwise I may have to let you drive..."

The lame attempt worked and her breathing returned to normal, "Let me get you some juice," He said, lifting her head and kissing her temple, scurrying to the refrigerator and pouring a glass which she drank thirstily before wrapping her arms around his middle, letting out a long sigh and a thanks before turning to face her father.

"I don't ever want to hear that again," She took her daughter back into her arms and left the room, leaving an awkward situation for Will to deal with.

"Well?" Ed raised a brow, "What do you think?"

"I think," Will swallowed a lump in his throat as a thousand images came into his mind at once, the sorting, the lining up, the routines, the neatness, the precision, the compulsions, 'do you love me?'...all her quirky behaviors suddenly made sense, "I think...I think you're right...and I think..." He met Mr. Pillsbury's gaze with a crinkled brow as realization dawned on him that he would now likely have two women with a life-long mental illness struggling under his roof, "...That this is going to be a nightmare."

* * *

Thank you so much for reading, hope you're still enjoying this through the trials and tears. Things won't be looking up for a little while. But, if this chapter didn't fulfill the smexytimes I had alluded to in the previous, and you found this story's prequel also lacking, (shameless pimping ahoy) check out my one-shot called _Beautiful Soul_, written when Emma was around six months pregnant with Lily - mature content.

Quick **reader poll**, because I honestly, truly am wrestling with the idea: should Emma have another baby? (Not with the drama going on, of corse.) They both clearly want one...but can she do it? Please help me make a decision by including a 'baby' or 'no baby' vote in your review if you chose to leave one. I appreciate the input! Thanks again!


	4. Chapter Four

Emma hadn't said goodbye to her father when they left Virginia. She'd barely uttered a word to her mother and brother, only hugging her sister tightly and promising to call when they made it home.

Lily was buckled in and snoozing as they prepared to depart, but before they did, Will made his way to the passenger side of the car and pulled his wife into his arms, "Emma—"

"...What did you say to my dad?" She whispered, clinging to him tightly, not sure if she wanted to hear the real answer, "You don't agree with him do you?"

Will kissed her forehead and stroked a hand down her back, "With all the love in the world, I'm going to say that, I think, we should talk about this once you've had a little bit of time to...process what was said and who said it. I think you're a little bit...unstable right now, given the fact that it was one of the most important men in your life who...claimed what they did."

"You agree."

"I don't want to be arguing over this for twelve hours, Em. I really would like to discuss this once we're home and rested. Give it some time, we'll worry about it later."

Her eyes were filled with unshed tears as she bit her lip to keep them at bay as she pulled from his embrace, "I...I'm sorry, Will."

"For what, Em?" He touched his fingers along her hair.

"...I...I can't...I can't deal with this."

"Okay, okay," He hugged her tight again, swaying them gently and kissing above her ear, "We're going to be okay." Will tipped her chin upwards and kissed Emma's lips through her tears, "We're going to be okay."

"...Daddy?" Came a quiet noise from the backseat, causing both parents to turn. Emma opened the door so they could hear her, "Are we home yet?"

"We haven't left yet, baby girl. You were only asleep for five minutes," She pried the shoes off her daughter's feet and nestled her blanket around her frame, "Go back to sleep and we'll be home before you know it."

"Can you sit back here with me?"

Will climbed in and kissed the top of her head, "I want Mommy to sit by me. How about when we stop later she can sit with you? You just go to sleep for now."

Her bottom lip quivered as she was told she couldn't have her way, "You know what, Lily? Daddy's right, I want to sit with him for now. Maybe when you wake up later I'll play something with you back there, alright?"

She sniffed and stared at her mother with sad eyes, "I...Do you not love me anymore?"

"I love you always, Lil. But I want you to stop pouting and listen to what Daddy said. Go to sleep, honey." Emma kissed her cheek and met her eyes, a promise which Lily couldn't understand hidden in the gaze.

"Ready?" Will asked, making sure his daughter was buckled safely and moving to his side of the vehicle.

Emma nodded, closing her eyes as he reversed and started down the road that would lead to the highway.

"Mommy?" Lily spoke again from the back, clearly not as tired as her parents would have liked her to be.

"Yes, Lily?" Emma sighed, taking Will's hand that wasn't on the wheel into her own and relishing the gentle squeeze of reassurance he gave.

"How come you're sad?"

"...Oh, Lily," Emma sighed again, a little louder this time, "You know what, honey?" She craned her neck to make eye-contact with her daughter, "It's nothing to worry about."

"...I don't like it when you're sad. Is it 'cause Gran'pa said those letters?"

OCD; there was certainly no way her daughter knew what he had been referencing, but her reaction after the revelation was obviously upsetting for Lily to witness.

"Hey, Lil?" Will cleared his throat, catching his daughter's big brown eyes in the rear-view mirror, "Honey, go to sleep, okay?"

She shrank in her seat, "I'm not tired," She muttered, fingering the edge of her blanket, "I just really want Mommy to sit back here with me."

Fake sniffles for attention almost had the mother caught in a sympathetic move to the backseat, but Will's facial expression caused her to listen to her better judgement, "What did Daddy say about that?"

"...That after we stop you can."

"Right. Now, close your eyes, Lily. We'll be home before you know it."

* * *

One in the morning had the Schuester couple dragging their exhausted feet through the door of their ranch-style home, pacing to the bedroom and tossing bags in the hallway to take care of once they'd had a decent amount of sleep.

Emma carried Lily to their bedroom, only stirring the sleeping girl long enough to encourage her to use the bathroom and remove her pants and shirt in her sleepy state. Once she was in a Dora-themed nightgown, she fell, rocklike, in the middle of her parent's bed and immediately drifted back asleep.

Will watched Emma change and felt his primal drive for her increasing with each layer of clothing she shed to the beige carpet. Instinct taking over, he wrapped his arms around her bare middle before she could pull a shirt over her head, "Um, Will...are we really going to do this at one in the morning after a twelve hour drive and our daughter sleeping in the middle of our bed?"

He sighed into her neck, "I can move the baby," He purred, stroking a line from Emma's hip to her naval, "And my legs are still functioning just fine."

Emma laughed quietly, "Honey, I'm really tired. How about tomorrow, alright?" She kissed him softly, nipping at his bottom lip, and pulled away, slipping one of his shirts over her thin frame.

She dragged them into the bathroom so they could brush their teeth, Will's free hand playing with her hair the whole time.

In the silence, Emma's thoughts turned back to the 'letters' that had been referenced over twelve hours ago. As she rinsed, she found the courage to bring up the topic again, "Do you agree with my dad?"

Will swallowed a glass of water before answering, "Sweetie, didn't we say we'd talk about it later?"

"Because you know what that would be accusing Lily of, right?"

He pressed a kiss to her temple, standing firm, "Bed, Emma. We've got plenty of time to worry about this."

She pouted slightly, following him towards the bed, tugging his hand for a long kiss before snuggling into the blankets and running her fingers through Lily's hair.

"Sweet dreams, baby," She whispered, then tilted her chin up to meet Will's eyes, "Good night, Will...I love you."

He took her hand over their daughter's head, "I love you, too."

The following afternoon had Lily waking first, around noon, scurrying to the bathroom to empty her little bladder, trying to remain as quiet as possible while climbing over her parents.

Emma stirred and eyed the time, yawning as twelve-thirty stared her in the face with red, angry numbers.

Lily tip-toed back into their room and crawled as slowly as she could up the bed, burrowing her face into her mother's side without realizing she was awake.

"Good morning, baby," Emma whispered, hand meeting Lily's hair and twirling the curls, "Did you sleep okay?"

She nodded, maneuvering to sit on top of Emma's stomach, then resting back down so her face was in the crook of her neck and fingers played with the lacy top portion of her nightgown, "Are you still sad, Mommy?"

"I'm okay, sweetie...Don't worry about me, alright?"

"What are we going to do today?"

"Oh," The mother sighed and ran her hands up her daughter's back, "Probably not too much, sweet-pea. We have to get groceries...Maybe you can come with me."

"Can Daddy come?"

"If he wants to. I think Daddy's tired, though."

"Naw," Will yawned and rolled over to face the two ladies in his life, rubbing a hand up Emma's arm, "Daddy's good."

"Daddy, can you come with us?"

He smiled and rubbed her back while she continued to lay on her mother's stomach, "I would love to come with you lovely ladies."

Lily giggled and sat up, crawling up to Will's face to kiss him good morning, "Do you love me, Daddy?"

Biting his lip, he thought briefly back to twenty-four hours ago, when the question had suddenly become cause for his diagnosis of his daughter's mental condition, "Baby, you know I love you. Do you love me?"

"I do!" She squeaked, hugging his neck tightly, "Do you love Mommy?"

"Oh, I love your mother very, very much, Lil."

"Do you love Daddy, Mommy?"

Emma chuckled lightly and rolled over, wrapping her thin arm around both of them, "Of course I love Daddy. And you."

"So we all love each other, right?"

"Right," The older redhead sat up and stretched, "How about we find some clothes for you?"

"Mommy, I didn't take a bath last night!" Lily suddenly gasped and sat up, tugging Emma's hand and tugged towards the bathroom, "Come on!"

"Sweetheart," Emma warned, "Settle down. You're fine. We'll just take one tonight."

"No, Mommy, I'm dirty! That's why we take baths!"

Emma bit her lip, trying to disagree with the statement that was everything she believed in, "Honey, you're not dirty. You're fine, honest. Little girls don't _have_ to take a bath every single day, really."

Will watched the strange interaction, "Lily? What makes you think you're dirty?"

"There's...I..." She huffed and stamped her foot into the carpet, "It's the rules!"

"Lily," Emma lifted her back onto the bed, "Sweetie, you're always saying that...something's the 'rules.' What rules do you mean, honey?"

Their large brown eyes met and Lily couldn't seem to come up with an answer as she avoided answering by saying, "I don't feel good."

"Uh-uh, nope, we're not playing that game, Lil," Will spoke sternly, "Look at me," She refused, "Lily? I mean it. Look at me, now." Her little head turned up while she shrank, feeling ashamed, "We don't pretend to be sick to get out of something, understand?"

"No, Will, I really don't think she feels well," Emma placed a hand on her daughter's stomach, "Does your tummy hurt, baby?" Lily nodded and curled up into her mother's lap, "Does it feel like you're going to throw up?" She shook her head and continued to bury herself into her mother, who sighed, "Would you just like to take a bath?"

Will cleared his throat, "Em? Don't you think that's a little bit...passive?"

"Yes," She sighed, meeting his gaze, "But I don't want her getting so upset that she makes herself ill."

Keeping his opinion to himself, Will pressed a kiss to his wife's temple, "I'm going to use the bathroom. I'll start the water."

Emma mouthed a thank you and stood with Lily on her hip, digging for clothes to wear out, glad that the escapade hadn't started an argument, "What should Mommy wear today, hm?"

"Something pretty!" Lily chimed, tugging at the strap of her mother's nightgown.

"Do I ever wear ugly clothes?" She teased, kissing at her little girl's cheek while she giggled.

"No, Mommy! You're always so pretty!"

"So are you, sweet-pea."

Will stepped out of the bathroom to see his wife snuggling their daughter and he immediately softened and the argument he was prepared to start about giving in was forgotten, "Lily! Tub's ready for you, sweet-pea."

She wiggled out of Emma's hold and ran to her father's, the brief moment of shame she'd felt earlier in the morning clearly whisked away.

* * *

"Mommy, can we get strawberries?" Lily pleaded with wide eyes from her seat in the cart as the small family trekked down the isles of a local all-inclusive market, "Pretty please?"

"Where did you learn 'pretty please?'" Emma raised a brow, arms crossed over her chest while Will pushed the shopping basket.

"Natalie! She said if you really want to get something, you have to say 'pretty please...' and something goes on top, but I don't remember."

Will kissed her forehead and tilted her chin up, "You can just use a normal please with us, alright? If you ask nicely and it's not sweets or junk food, we'll probably be able to get it."

Making a mental note to thank her niece for starting the corruption process of her three-year-old, Emma made her way to a display of packaged noodles, scoffing when the brand on sale had no stock left.

"Mommy?"

Closing her eyes and trying to keep her patience, Emma turned to Lily with her hands on her hips, "Yes, Lily?"

"Can you hold me?" She had her bottom lip sticking out and eyes wide and weepy.

"Honey, I'm shopping. Daddy's right there, looking at you."

Trying the new method of having her desires met, Lily reached her arms in her mother's direction, "Please can you hold me?"

"Oh my," Emma huffed and lifted the three-year-old from the cart and settled her onto her hip, "You're getting much too big for this, you know that?"

Will watched with his lips pressed together, but said nothing, not wanting to provoke an argument, "Sweetie, I'm going to get a loaf of bread," He passed by his wife, dropping a kiss to her forehead.

She had noticed his expression, but wrote it off, snuggling Lily just a bit closer to prove her point. She didn't think granting her daughter's request to be held was 'babying.'

"Mommy, I just love you."

With that, all her frustration melted away, "I just love you, too, baby...now let's find some strawberries."

A short while later, the trio headed to the other side of the store to pick up non-food related items, "Daddy, can't we just look?" Lily begged in regard to the electronic hamsters that were being stacked down a toy isle.

"Go ahead," Emma nodded, "I've got to grab her some shampoo and a few other things down this way."

Will took Lily from her arms and walked towards the toy she so desperately wanted to see, "See, Daddy? They have these little things they go in!"

Catching eye of the price tag on the plastic tubes she was referring too, he shook his head, "We don't need one, honey. You don't even like hamsters. Too bad they don't have something like that for dogs, because you know we'll never have a real one."

"Oh, they do! Come look!" She tugged at his hand and he laughed, following her down the isle, acting more like the child she was growing into then the baby her mother treated her like.

Meanwhile, Emma found Lily's shampoo and chewable vitamins, prepared to head back to her husband and daughter, but isle full of pink and green cardboard boxes caught her eye.

She'd had a thought while in Virginia, after confessing to her sister and herself that she wanted another baby. Emma knew how badly Will wanted one, so she was going to surprise him. It would be difficult to hide her intentions, but she hoped her efforts would be worthwhile.

Taking a package of ovulation testers so she could find the best time to romp around without taking her pill, she hid the box between some fruit and made her way back towards the rest of her family.

Will stood puzzled as Lily attempted to explain the difference between little ponies and little pets, "But their heads are bigger!"

"I'd have to say they're about the same," He teased her, trying hard not to laugh as she stamped her foot impatiently.

"Why is it that every time I leave you two alone, I come back to find you torturing her, hm?" Emma raised a brow and opened her arms for Lily to run back into, forgetting all about the large-headed plastic animals.

They checked out, Emma careful to make sure her plan wouldn't be disrupted by having Will once again distract their daughter, in turn, distracting himself as she put the items on the conveyer belt and paid from their joint funds.

"Mommy, look!" Lily squeaked when their Pacifica pulled into the driveway, "Scott! Can I play with him?"

"Sweetie, I don't..." Will eyed her, squeezing her hand, "Um," She sighed and relented, "I guess, but only if his mom or dad say it's okay."

"Will you come with me?"

Will unbuckled her and lifted her tiny frame, setting her on the concrete, "You can play with Scott all by yourself, Lil."

"But...I want Mommy..." Emma began taking grocery bags inside, deliberately ignoring the conversation so her preschooler couldn't guilt her into spending the remainder of the afternoon at the Guire's and to find a place to hide her package from Will.

Will stepped into the house some ten minutes later as she was finishing putting the last few items away, "Hey," He kissed her lips, quickly coming up with an answer as to why he'd seemingly abandoned their daughter, "She's playing with Scott and his brother out front now. Sarah, that's the mom," Emma nodded, recalling the blonde woman from a week previous, "She's out with them right now...Invited us over for dinner. I don't know if you were thinking of planning something..."

"Um," She sighed, lining up two cartons of soy milk in the refrigerator while one of his hands fell to her hip, "I...I guess. I...Will..."

His arm snaked around her when she closed the door and turned to face him, "I know. It's going to be alright, though. She's happy out there right now, they're drawing with chalk," Emma groaned at the mess that her daughter would be in a matter of minutes, "Sweetheart, you've got to let her play."

"I...I know."

"So, this leaves us with two options. We can either go socialize or we can talk between ourselves about the issues that came up at your parents house."

"I, um...I thought we weren't really going to talk about that, Will. I, I thought that...we decided that my dad was saying things out of line and..."

He ran a finger through her hair to keep the mood light, "Em, we didn't really talk about anything. Yesterday...yesterday was a bit of a disaster...and I said that we'd worry about it later and for you not to think about it because I didn't want you stressing over it for a twelve hour drive."

"...So...You're saying you agree? With everything they said? With my mom thinking we treat her like an infant and my dad thinking she's crazy?"

"Hey, hey..." Will tugged her close with his arm and set his face serious, "Emma, no...Just..." He sighed, "Can we go lay down and talk about it? I don't want this to be combative or angry, but I do think that there are some things we could discuss."

Emma bit her lip, "Maybe we should go talk to the neighbors."

"Emma—"

"No, no...I'm...I'm not trying to...avoid, the subject, Will. I'm just...Maybe I need more time to process what was said? Think about...the reasons? I don't...If we flush it out now, I'm going to be very defensive."

Will pressed a warm kiss to her forehead, "Okay...okay. Come on," He worked his hand into hers and moved towards the door, knowing she'd never really be ready to talk about the subject without protecting her daughter and writing her symptoms off, "I'm excited for you to see Lily _happy_ with someone her own age."

Emma sighed, "Let me just...wash my hands first, alright?"

He gave her the time she requested then followed her out the front door, "Mommy!" Lily shouted when she caught sight of her, "Mommy, are you coming over?"

Emma laughed at Lily's excited face and bent to kiss the top of her head, careful to avoid her blue-powdered hands, "I think I'm already here, sweetie."

"Oh, yeah, you are!"

Lily giggled and jumped up, about to hug her mother, but Will caught her as Emma cringed, prepared to be covered in the dust, "Got you!" She continued to laugh, hands leaving imprints on Will's polo, but he didn't mind nearly as much as his wife would have, "Can I put you down to play?"

Emma moved to greet Sarah, who stood, clearly happy to have someone over the age of seven to interact with, "Hi, Emma." She smiled and pulled a folding chair from the garage, "Paul," She called and a muscular blonde stepped out of the house, "The neighbors are here!"

He wrapped an arm around his wife, a wide grin pasted on his face, obviously thrilled as she was to have adult conversation, "Hey, Emma, Will..."

They exchanged greetings and formalities before the four adults formed a small arc of chairs while sitting in front of their children, discussing the trip to Virginia — leaving out the details Emma wasn't fond of remembering — and chatting about how the Gurie's were liking Lima.

"Hey, Mom! Mom! Mom!" Scott shouted, standing in front of Sarah and tugging her shorts, "Mom!"

"Scotty," She said sternly, "Should you be shouting at me like that?"

He shrank and cringed, "Sorry, Mom."

Sarah cupped the side of his face, "You need to be patient...but what is it?"

"I'm hungry! What's for dinner?"

She pulled him into her lap and kissed his cheek, "We're having burgers. Does that work for you?"

He nodded and curled up into her arms, leaving Lily alone for more then thirty seconds, which wasn't settling well for her, as she ran up the driveway and to her mother's seat, "Oh, sweetie, you're a mess," Emma groaned when Lily's blue-stained palms met her knees, "Why don't you sit with Daddy, okay?"

Lily looked dejected for a moment, "But I love you, Mommy!"

"Don't you love me anymore?" Will brought her onto his lap and brushed her red curls out of her face, defusing the situation. "Am I not good enough for you?" He teased and wrapped both arms around her little belly.

"Oh, no, Daddy, I love you!"

He kissed her cheek, "Good."

The entryway to the house opened and a taller version of Scott stepped out, raising a brow at the amount of people before him, "Um...hello?"

"Nicky, come here," Sarah waved him towards the group, "These are our neighbors. Will, Emma and the little one—"

"Must be Lily," He smirked, "The one Scott won't stop talking about?"

"Yes," Will laughed, "This is Lily. You're Nick?"

He nodded and bent to look his brother in the eye, "Your girlfriend looks like a troublemaker."

The adults laughed while Scott kicked a foot forward with a pout, "Don't tease her!"

"Hey," Paul slugged his youngest son, "He's teasing you, not Lily. But in any case, what's up, Nick?"

"Starving," He complained, "Can we please eat soon?"

"It's feeding time at the Guire house," Sarah stood, placing Scott on his feet and making a motion towards the house, "I'll go get something started."

"Um, I can help," Emma offered, praying that it would be accepted.

Sarah agreed and as Emma stood, Lily bounced out of Will's lap and attacked her legs, "Mommy!"

"Oh, Lily...sweetie, can you stay with Daddy, please?"

"She can help, too," Sarah interjected, directing both Schuester girls to the kitchen, "There's a sink to the left to wash her hands."

After nearly an hour of food preparation, both mothers had discovered they were more alike then that anticipated.

Sarah didn't eat red meats and was throwing an extra Boca burger on the grill for Emma. She preferred skirts and dresses to pants or shorts any day and had a love affair with name-brand shoes. She wasn't much into action movies and she was starting to miss her baby actually being a baby.

"And it's just that we're finally to the point where we can start doing things again, going out...and having another one would put us right back into the slump we were in for the past seven years or so. We're hoping to get to Orlando one of these days, and with a new baby, or if I were pregnant...it just wouldn't be feasible."

Emma was quiet at that point, it was true, life was more simple in some ways, but certainly more complicated in others, "Will really wants one. I think that I'm starting to as well...but he doesn't know that."

"Is it going to be a surprise?" Sarah raised a brow and smirked, "So long as you're sure he wants one. I bet Lily would be thrilled with a sibling."

Emma wasn't so sure about that. "She's...quite attached to us, mostly me, but, um...I think it'd be good for her. I miss having a baby, surprisingly. God, I never thought I would say—"

Lily and Scott chose that moment to sprint from his room, shouting something along the lines of, "We're the heroes! We're the heroes!"

Both mothers laughed and picked up their three-year-olds, "Who's ready for dinner?" Sarah bounced her son on her hip.

"Me! Me! Me! Me!"

She pecked his forehead and let him slide down, "Go get everyone else!"

"Mommy, are we going to have ice cream tonight?"

Emma gave her a look, "Sweetheart, when do we _ever_ have ice cream?"

"We did when it was my birthday! And when we have a really special day!"

"And is it your birthday today?" Emma tickled her belly and set her in one of the folding chairs that they'd placed around the table for additional seating.

"But it's still a special day!"

Emma sat next to her, sweeping her hair off her face, "And what's so special about today?"

Lily pondered for a moment, "Well...every day is special! And today — Daddy!" The thoughts were dropped as Will and the rest of the males entered the kitchen, moving to sit around the food, "Daddy, I missed you!"

"I was only gone for twenty minutes, sweet-pea." He kissed her forehead anyways, "But I missed you too."

"I love you!"

"And I love you."

Dinner was a pleasant affair, much more relaxed then the week before had been for both Will and Emma, laughing over the commentary of a seven-year-old and telling stories about working in a high school.

The night ended with a trip to the local ice cream parlor, after Nick insisted they "celebrate new friends." After a long chuckle and Emma's brief hesitancy, she did not want to start sweet-tooth habits with her daughter, the two families walked down the street.

Emma, naturally, opted out of the desert while her daughter nearly made a disaster with a cone, which was saved by the quick intervention of a Tide-to-Go stick and some napkins.

Once everyone had finished, they trekked back, Lily being carried by Will, his free arm around his wife's shoulders, while Paul chose to hold the hand of his wife and watch his eldest son give his youngest a piggy-back ride.

They arrived back in front of their houses and it was apparent from the drooping eyelids of the preschoolers that the night was over. "This was...amazing, truly," Emma sighed, smiling brightly at Sarah and Paul. "It's wonderful to have neighbors who aren't seventy or...totally creepy." They all laughed and she continued, "Maybe, um...sometime next week we could do it again, at our house?"

"Sounds great." Sarah lifted her littlest boy and took a few steps closer, "Say goodbye to Lily, honey."

"Can she play tomorrow?" He asked, blue eyes sparkling with desire to spend time with his new friend.

"We're going to grandpa's tomorrow, Scotty. Say 'bye, looks like Lily's tired."

He reached his arms out and Emma stepped closer for the new friends to hug each other farewell before parting. The adults bid one another a goodnight and separated into their own houses.

"Oh, you need a bath, baby," Emma wiggled Lily out of her top, promptly setting it on the washer and applying a quick stain treatment before taking the little girl down the hall and starting the water, "Did you have a lot of fun tonight?"

"Yes," She nodded, clearly tired, "I love Scott."

Will helped her out of her shorts and pouted, "Are you replacing me already, Lil?"

Emma rolled her eyes and set her daughter in the tub, working shampoo into her hair. "Do you like to play with him?"

"He's a very nice boy!"

Will splashed the water with a smirk as they finished up and he snuggled his little girl in a towel before following his wife to the pink bedroom. "Daddy, can you sing to me with your guitar tonight?"

He dried her hair with the terrycloth while Emma buttoned a nightgown onto her thin frame. "I could probably do that," He muttered, pondering which song he could perform for his ladies.

Once she'd brushed her teeth and squabbled about having her matted curls combed through, Lily settled into Emma's arms in the pink glider that was still present in her room while Will sat on her toy box, strumming on his guitar as he introduced the song for them, "This song...Your beautiful Mommy once asked me to sing this to her, back when you were just a tiny baby...Mommy was having a really rough few weeks," He choked, trying to stay strong to tell the story, "And she really needed some cheering up..."

_Postpartum depression could not be cured in a matter of hours._

_Even after Will had placed his five-month-old daughter on his wife's chest and helped them bond a bit, she still burst into tears ten minutes later, crying over worries of what would happen when they arrived home._

"_Emma, sweetheart," He sighed her name again, "Emma, I'll tell you what, I'm going to hold you and we're going to hold Lily and we're going to fight through this. I've got a list of vitamins that are safe to take while you're nursing that are going to help, we've got the name of a counselor we can see, and I have this book with all kinds of things we can do at home to make being a stay-at-home mom more bearable...We're going to make it through this. I promise."_

_She was discharged around nine that evening and as Will drove them home, he could see his wife struggling to keep tears at bay. "Emma," He whispered and rested a hand on her leg, drawing slow, comforting circles. She was about to shed them, but a grunt from the backseat distracted her and her eyes became wide as she prayed Lily would stay asleep. _

_Pulling into the garage, Will moved around to assist his wife out of the car and walked her to the door before taking Lily from the back. Once inside, Emma collapsed to the couch, but not before spotting a small spatter of her daughter's spit-up from earlier in the day, "Oh..." She sighed, the tears finally releasing as she placed her face in her hands._

_Will set Lily into her crib, thankful she hadn't stirred during the transport and moved to wrap both arms around his wife._

"_Emma..." He didn't know what he could say to comfort her, so he didn't speak. Instead, he moved from his seat and opened a cabinet in the kitchen and found what he'd need to clean up the spots on the couch._

_She watched him scrub for a moment before suddenly bursting out laughing, "You're doing it wrong."_

_Will raised a brow and crossed his arms over his chest, "Oh really? And what's the proper technique I need to use to get baby vomit out of a couch?"_

"_You're rubbing it in more, Will," She wiped the tears from her eyes and crouched in front of the spot, "You need to let this soak in first." She demonstrated, spraying the cleaning agent over the stain, "And in a few minutes we'll blot it up."_

_He smirked and pulled her close by her hips, "And what should we do while we wait?"_

_Her mood significantly and dramatically changed, Emma pushed Will to the carpet, over a blanket that had a few baby toys on it and spread herself over him, "We can lay here."_

_Rubbing her knuckles with his thumb, Will kissed the top of her head, "Anything else you'd like?"_

"_Um, kiss me?"_

_Cupping her face, Will pulled Emma's lips down to his own, meeting her repeatedly for soft, warm kisses before deepening one which she greeted hungrily. Her sex drive had been on standby over the past month or two, which Will had mistakenly contributed to exhaustion. It was good to see his Emma coming back to him, all of her._

"_I love you." He nipped at her neck a few times. "And I'm so sorry that it took me so long to notice something was wrong. I really am, Em...and I'm sorry for dismissing it when you brought it up."_

"_Hey," Emma pushed herself up on her elbows to meet his eyes, "Please don't blame yourself, it'll only make me feel guiltier."_

_He rubbed a hand up and down her belly, "Well, I guess there's no sense arguing over whose fault it is...what do you say we take a warm bath and snuggle up for the night?"_

"_Sounds good," She sighed and moved off of him, "But I think that...I want to feed Lily first. She's got to be starving...and I don't want to wake her, but..."_

"_Do you want to make her a bottle, and I'll feed her? Or are you up to it?"_

_Emma met his eyes, "I'm up for it," She whispered sincerely._

_Will's hand met her hip as they walked down the hall, "She'll appreciate it; nurse her, change her, get her numbed up and maybe she'll sleep through the night for us."_

"_Wishful thinking," Emma chided, stepping into the nursery where Lily was surprisingly already awake, grunting and kicking the air, "Hi, baby..." Will lifted her while Emma positioned herself in the pink glider, waving her husband and daughter towards her, "Are you hungry, sweetie? You must be...You've hardly eaten all day, and Mommy is so sorry about that." She kissed the top of her gingery curls as Lily latched on to eat, "There you go." _

_Emma sighed and relaxed into the chair, meeting Will's eyes as he watched the exchange, "Does it feel alright?"_

_She nodded and started to rock slowly, observing Lily's face, much more contented than it had been all week, "She looks much happier."_

"_So do you." Will met her eyes, "You're going to be glowing again." Emma blushed and tilted her head to draw his mouth to hers._

_Ten minutes later, Lily had finished and Emma passed her over to Will to be burped while she dug through a drawer to find something clean to change the baby into._

_Once she was fresh and dressed, Will ran the numbing gel across her swollen gums to keep her from howling in pain all night._

_As she fell asleep once more, the parents took their cue to leave, taking a long, relaxing bath and climbing into bed once they'd spent their due time in the bathroom._

"_You know what you haven't done in awhile?" Emma questioned, running her fingertips over Will's fuzzy chest._

"_What's that?" He asked, hand cupping her cheek._

"_Sang me to sleep."_

"_Oh...well, what would you like to hear, sweetheart?"_

"_Something," She paused to conjure up her desire into words, "Something about us." _

_Will thought and smiled, humming himself a little introduction before starting. She immediately teared up at the first verse, winding her fingers around his as it became appropriate during the next lines,_ "Take my hand...take my whole life, too...for I can't help, falling in love with you..."

_Sang with much more meaning than the original King of the music industry, Will found himself shedding happy tears along with his wife. The words were as beautiful and true as the love they'd shared over the course of their relationship._

"_Like a river flows surely to the sea, darling, so it goes, somethings are meant to be..._" Lily sat, curled in her mother's lap with her head resting on her sternum, unsure why her mother was crying or why her father looked prepared too, "._..I can't help falling in love with you..._"

As he finished, Lily clapped. "That was pretty, Daddy."

He moved to peck her forehead quickly before reaching up to her mother's face, wiping the trails of tears and kissing her repeatedly as much as was appropriate in front of their daughter.

"Thank you," She mouthed when he pulled away.

"Ready to go to sleep, baby?" He asked Lily, who nodded.

"Can I sleep with you?"

Emma shook her head, once more beginning to put her foot down, "Honey, you know what? You've slept with us every night for the past week. We're not at Nana's anymore and it's not way past your bedtime, so I'd like you to stay in your own bed tonight."

She pouted, "But Mommy, I love you."

"And I love you, sweetie, but...I want you to sleep in your big girl bed."

She opened her mouth to argue once more, but Will intercepted, lifting her and moving them to her converted crib, "Lily, we need to listen to Mommy. It's time to go to sleep."

Still wearing a grumpy and betrayed expression, Lily climbed beneath her butterfly-themed comforter and sighed, "Goodnight, Daddy. I love you."

"And I love you," He kissed her cheek and patted her belly, "Goodnight, baby."

"Sweet dreams, sweet-pea," Emma placed her lips near Lily's temple and stroked her curls a few times as she did every night, "I love you more than anything."

Lily yawned and reached for her blanket, curling it up near her face while both parents left.

Will stretched and pulled Emma as close to him as physically possible, "God, I love you."

* * *

Sunday came and went in a lazy haze of doing laundry and putting away their things from the week in Virginia, along with tidying up the house while Lily pouted, spending the day whining and complaining about wanting to go outside.

"Darling daughter," Emma sighed, bending to Lily's level for what must have been the twelfth time, "It is raining. The ground is muddy and wet and your playground is not safe to play on when it's slippery. I'm so sorry that you can't go outside, but you need to find something to do that doesn't involve pulling on my legs and crying. Understand?"

Lily, still not used to a stern Emma, shrank and slumped to her room, closing the door and pouting against it with her arms crossed over her chest.

"Oh, she's giving me a headache," Emma groaned as Will moved his hands to her shoulders.

"Relax, sweetie, she's just being three."

"Well, she could stop being three at any time and it'd be great..." She looked with distain at a basket of clothes that needed to be folded, "Would you go entertain her while I put these away?"

"Sure," He kissed the top of her head and made his way to the pink themed room, where Lily had finished pouting and started her obsessive sorting of her mega blocks before she could build with them. "Hey, Lil."

"Hi, Daddy," She said, throwing herself dramatically into her bed as he moved to sit next to her on the floor.

"Oh my. Are you having a bad day, sweetheart?"

"Yes!" She shouted into a pillow, kicking her legs against the mattress while Will tried to keep his laughter in.

"What's so bad about today, hm?" He asked, sitting next to her and rubbing her back.

"Scott's not home, I can't go outside, and Mommy's yellin' at me!"

"That sure sounds like a terrible day, Lily. But have you thought about the reason why Mommy's yelling at you?"

Suddenly large tears rolled down Lily's face as she came up with the only possible solution, "Because she doesn't love me anymore!"

"Lily," Will said sharply, tugging her up to face him, "You know that's not true."

"But, but, she, she..."

"Settle down, settle down," Will bit his lip, not sure if this was typical three-year-old behavior, the possible mental illness that his father-in-law had suggested or Lily just being dramatic, "Honey, you need to calm down and talk to me." Her meltdowns truly were reminiscent of Emma's, and he couldn't deny that her obsessive habits had him worried.

"Yesterday, she, she wouldn't hold me...and then she made me sleep in here, all by myself! And now she's yelling and telling me to go be by myself!" She howled loud enough to prompt Emma to open the door, sighing at the sight.

"Lily, baby," She held her arms open for the little girl, but she refused the comfort.

"She thinks you don't love her anymore because you made her sleep in here and you asked her to find something to do besides bugging you," Will offered as an explanation.

Emma rolled her eyes, not caring if either of them saw her obvious frustration, "Lily Anne," She sat next to her husband, "You know that I love you. What did I tell you last night? That I love you more than anything. You just need to listen to me better, then we won't have these problems. Just because I tell you to do something that you normally don't does not mean that I have stopped loving you."

The afternoon continued with Lily trailing her mother around the house, at her heels until Emma gave in and spent the evening playing with plastic animals.

Even through her annoyance, Emma was nervous about sending her daughter to daycare the following day. She was dreading the morning like she'd never dreaded a monday in her life. Once Lily was in bed, Will took Emma and poured over internet sites that would help relieve their daughter's anxiety as they prepared a bag of things to leave with her — a change of clothes, sippy-cup and when she woke up, her blanket.

"Oh, Will, she's going to freak...she's absolutely going to have a total meltdown and...Will, maybe we should wait—"

"No, Emma, no," He said firmly, taking her hands into his lap and stroking his thumb over her wrists, "We've made the decision. We'll deal with the meltdowns as they come. Lily needs this." Emma pressed her lips together to keep from crying. "Honey, she's going to be okay."

"Will, I...I'm...what if something happens? And we're not there? What if she has one of those huge breakdowns when only we can help her? What if—"

"Emma!" Will took her face in his, "You need to relax. Seriously, the only reason she's going to get upset is if you get upset. She's going to be fine, and if, after a few weeks of trying, she isn't, then we'll make a decision. We're going in the morning."

"Daddy?" Lily poked her face up from the edge of the couch, causing both parents to snap towards her.

"Why are you out of bed?" Emma asked, standing to take her hand and lead her back to her room.

"No!" The little redhead pulled away and squirmed back to the living room, "Daddy, I need you!"

"Lily Anne, you need to go back to bed right now." Will lifted her up and deposited her back into bed, "You go to sleep. We don't get up and walk around after bedtime, you know better."

"But, Daddy, I...I want to sleep with you."

"What did Mommy say last night?"

Lily huffed and whined, turning over so her back was too him, clutching her blanket tightly.

"I love you," Will reminded her, even though her behavior was less than immaculate.

He closed the door most of the way as he left, returning to find Emma staring somberly at one of Lily's baby pictures on a shelf near the television.

"She's not this little girl anymore," Emma whispered, "She needs to go."

"Yes," Will sighed happily, resting one arm on her upper back while he meet the bright eyes of his daughter on her first Christmas, "She does."

The following morning, after fifteen minutes of crying and trying to hold onto her parents for dear life, Lily was finally distracted by the prospect of an indoor jungle gym in the basement of the daycare center.

"Now, if she's just crying and upset because she doesn't want to be here, I'll just take care of it...if it's one of the 'meltdowns' you're describing, I'll call you. Does that sound okay?" Miss Carolyn asked, adjusting a baby on her hip.

Will nodded and went over a few more details, but all Emma could do was stare at the infant, mind wandering a mile a minute over her desire to have another one of her own.

"Ready, Em?"

She nodded, taking his hand and thanking the woman, commenting they'd be back around twelve-thirty to take Lily home.

"Oh, god..." Emma breathed as she got into the car, "Will...we just left our baby with strangers."

"No," He took her hand while reversing, "We left our three-year-old at a reputable childcare center. She's going to be alright...now, you had said something about wanting some new...toys?" He winked and drove them to the mall while Emma stifled a giggle, they hadn't been able to do much shopping for their intimate life in a long, long time.

"Mhm," She smirked, "Maybe something new to wear while we're playing with our toys."

Will gulped and floored through a yellow light, something he never did with a preschooler in the car, "God, this feels wonderful," He commented, taking her hand, "See, this is going to be good for all three of us. Very good."

Emma nodded and continued to ponder over the potential their new free time would bring. Perhaps with new outfits and such, he wouldn't be as likely to notice her lack of usual caution as they made love.

* * *

I must apologize for the overwhelming number of OC's in this story. The problem with using the original cast is that almost every adult on the show is insane or just plain creepy. Casein-point, Sue, Terri, Ken, Brenda, Rod...I feel like Will and Emma have normal adult friends but...we sure don't know anything about them. So I had to create them. If it's getting to much, you won't offend me by saying something. I can reduce their appearances.

Quick self-pimp: a new multi-chapter fic is up dealing with Emma/Carl abuse (eventual Will/Emma) that is probably some of my best writing to date. Be sure to check it out if it interests you.

A _huge_ thank you to everyone who gave their input on the 'baby or no baby' deal. I've made my decision. As you can see, Emma would like to put this idea through to fruition, but we'll see if that actually happens.  
That being said, _if_ there's going to be a baby, this writer has a serious gender complex.** Boy or girl, boy or girl?** It's quite agonizing trying to decide for myself; knowing what you would like to _read_ will make the story easier to _write_. **Thoughts**?

Thank you all for reading! Reviewers, your enthusiasm is contagious and makes me write much faster! Thank you!


	5. Chapter Five

Oh, oh, oh gosh!" Emma panted as Will pulled away from her after an extended, rough and loud period of making love. She sighed contently when he lay next to her, one arm around her middle. "Oh, Will...I've missed being able to do this."

"Sweetie, we do this all the time." He smirked, rubbing above her bellybutton.

"I meant...like this. Noisy," She giggled the word, "And...just...very hot. I enjoyed it."

He nuzzled her cheek with his and kissed her nose. "I'm glad. See? Having Lily in daycare is good for all of us."

And it was. After three days, Lily had been dropped off on Friday with only a trace of tears. She was adjusting slowly, but she didn't hate spending the day at Miss Carolyn's house.

"Do you think this can be a more permanent thing? Or do you not want to commit to that just yet?"

Emma traced a line above his collar bone. "I think...I think we'll stick it out. She has preschool in the mornings starting in the fall. It's only Monday, Wednesday and Friday, so we'll have to find something for her to do on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Daycare would probably be the best solution."

"I'm sure my mom would still be willing to take her," Will offered, not noticing the cringe on his wife's face as he mentioned her name.

"Let's wait and see what happens when fall comes."

Will tightened his hold around her, kissing her neck. "Sounds like a plan...how about round two?"

Emma eyed the time. "Or we could snuggle?"

He laughed and pulled a sheet around their naked frames. "If that's what you want."

Three hours later, Lily was sprinting into her mother's arms, a few dried tears against her pale face. "Oh, sweet-pea, what's wrong?"

"I-I really missed you!"

"Honey," Emma sighed and rubbed her back, "Lily, you did okay on Wednesday. Did something happen?"

Miss Carolyn stepped into the hall. "One of the boys kept taking the Little People from the line she was making to play with them, she got quite upset."

"Oh, Lil..." Emma rocked her gently and kissed the top of her head. "We need to share, sweetheart."

"But I wanted to make my line," She whined and continued to burry her head in Emma's shoulder. "Where's Daddy?"

"He's at home, making you some lunch."

"Can we go see him?"

Emma sighed and stood, lifting the girl to her hip and handing Miss Carolyn a check for their week.

"Are we going to see you on Monday?" She asked, ruffling Lily's curls.

Emma nodded and pressed another kiss to her. "Yes, we'll be back."

"Mommy, I want to stay with you!"

Closing her eyes, she pressed her lips together. "We'll talk about it at home, okay, baby?"

Lily was unusually quiet on the brief ride home, her eyes cast on anything but her mother's that reflected in the rearview mirror.

"Lily," Emma's voice was sing-song, trying to lighten the mood, "Baby, what is it?"

"Mommy, I just want to stay at home with you and Daddy!"

Emma gripped the wheel. "You don't like Miss Carolyn?"

"I just want you!"

Pulling into the garage and putting the car in park, Emma carried Lily into the kitchen, where Will met his daughter with a kiss to her cheek while his thumbs wiped beneath her eyes. "Rough day at daycare?"

"Daddy," She cried, reaching out to him and wailing loudly.

"Oh, Lily..." The parents met one another's eyes and Emma ignored the lunch that had been prepared, encouraging Will to take their daughter to their room.

"Honey, we thought you were doing okay?" Will rubbed her stomach soothingly as she spread across the bed with a parent on each side of her. "You seemed to like Miss Carolyn's last time."

"Joey was taking my toys! And-and the scissors were hard! And Miss Carolyn says big girls don't drink out of sippy cups! And the babies were crying so loud and I didn't like it!"

Emma nodded. "Okay, okay...well, we already know that we need to share, right?" She raised a brow and Lily shrunk. "And we've been working on scissors, sweetie. Remember? We're still learning, and it's okay to make mistakes when you're still learning. As for sippy cups, don't you listen to anyone but Mommy about them, okay? I say it's still okay for you. It doesn't matter what Miss Carolyn, Aunt Annie or Nana say." At this Will shot her a look which she dismissed, continuing, "And I'm sorry about the babies, honey. But you'll get used to it in no time."

She cupped her daughter's face and met her large, brown eyes. "You're okay, Lily, I promise. Mommy wouldn't let you go anywhere I didn't think was good for you."

Will agreed, "You're doing just fine. And we're very proud of you for sticking it out this week."

Lily sat up and sighed. "Why can't I just stay with you?"

"Because, sweet-pea," Emma lifted the preschooler into her lap, "We think it's good for you, and we want you to get used to being away from us, with someone other than Papa."

"But I love Papa!"

"I know," Will sighed and ran his fingers over her little ankles, "But honey, we just want you to be ready for preschool."

"I don't want to go to preschool!" Lily cried loudly and wrapped her arms around Emma's neck, clinging tightly.

"Oh, baby..." Emma rocked them back and fourth soothingly. "You know what? How about we go eat some lunch and see if Scott can play with you after naptime?"

Lily brightened at the mention of their neighbor and hurried to the kitchen.

"Nothing like distraction 101, hm?"

"Oh, she's fine. Just...a mild relapse. We all have them." Emma winked and stood, kissing Will's forehead before joining her daughter for lunch.

Several hours later found Emma trying to hypocritically encourage her daughter to engage in Playdough, when she couldn't even convince herself to touch the molding putty.

"But Mommy, it just feels icky!" Lily cringed, poking a blue mass while Scott had already begun carving his up.

Emma bent to her level. "Honey, it's not dirty. It's just...you know what? If you don't want to, you don't have to. I'm not going to make you."

Scott promptly stood, leaving the mess on a child-sized table. "Lets go play Rescue Heroes, Lily!"

She sprang from her seat and followed him, leaving Sarah to sigh, picking up her son's mess. "It never fails."

"Sorry," Emma winced, trying to get her daughter's lump of yellow back into its container. "She's just not into the messy things. Not that I'm complaining."

"Oh, it's fine." Once the table was clear, the two mothers settled into the couch, watching as their three-year-olds interacted on the carpet. "Has Will figured out you're off your birth control yet?" Sarah teased, raising a brow.

Emma laughed a little, "I haven't gotten off it yet."

The blonde raised a brow. "You know it takes a few months of being off it before you can actually get pregnant again?"

Emma stiffened and fiddled with her hands in her lap. "Oh...um, I guess I didn't...realize that." Now cursing herself for having to wait, which would throw off the marvelous maternity-leave into summer vacation she had in mind, Emma sighed deeply. "He's going to notice..."

Sarah twisted so her whole body faced the other woman. "I don't want to tell you what to do, but if you're concerned he'll be upset by you not taking it, don't you think he'll be just as concerned if you surprise him with a pregnancy?"

The guidance counselor thought for several moments, carefully choosing how to respond. "You're right. Will deserves to be just as involved in this process as I am."

"I don't want to hurt your—"

Emma cut her off and smiled widely. "I respect your opinion, Sarah, and I think you have a valid point. I appreciate your advice."

"Oh, good," The blonde smirked. "I have a tendency to stick my nose where it doesn't belong and doll out advice to people who don't want it."

"Well," Emma watched as Lily straightened her action heroes before playing with them. "I could certainly use some. I've been listening to my sister for so long, that when she tries to help me now, I just feel like she's trying to interfere with my life. I mean, I love her, but..."

"A fresh perspective helps." Nodding, Emma shook her head as Lily continued to keep her toys in order. "God, she's just too cute. She's so organized and specific."

The redhead cleared her throat. "I-I wouldn't go with cute. Will's worried about her."

"What do you mean?" Sarah asked while keeping an eye on the smaller of the two preschoolers.

"I...I have OCD. And, I've learned to control it fairly well, especially since I had Lily...but, it used to be really bad. I, um," Emma hesitated, as this was the first person she was discussing the issue with. "I couldn't do anything without a routine or cleaning something...I just...I was very difficult. But, um...when we were at my parents, last week..." She sighed and bit her lip to keep from growing too upset. "My dad, he...accused Lily of having the same disorder, and I...sort of, freaked. I know that Will has similar concerns and I haven't been willing to discuss it further. I...I just don't think it could...I don't want her to..."

Emma choked tears that were threatening to rise while Sarah placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Emma, I...I don't really know what to say other than whatever happens, Will's going to be there for you. We're not going anywhere, either. I think you've got a lot of things to talk to your husband about...And I'll take Lily so you can be alone whenever you'd like to have those discussions."

The two embraced on the couch, a warm gesture that sealed the deal on their friendship.

* * *

Lily whined as Emma wrestled her into a plaid, ruffled dress the following Tuesday. "Mommy, please, I just don't want to go!"

"I know, baby." Emma sighed, buttoning the fabric. "But it's only a check-up. You'll be fine."

Both parents and daughter alike dreaded Lily's six-month check-ups; but because of the premature state she had been born in, they were necessary.

"Are they going to give me shots?"

The mother placed her hands on the puffy sleeves of her daughter's shoulders and told her honestly, "Yes, honey. But Daddy and I aren't going anywhere. And, what happens if you're a good girl at the doctor?"

Her eyes lit up when she remembered. "I get ice cream!"

Emma kissed her cheek and tied a sash around the little girl's waist. "That's right, sweetie. You'll be okay. Remember, it's just a little poke, and the pain goes away very quickly."

"Will you hold me?" Lily sniffed, eyes wide and puppy-like.

"Of course. And I'll tell you what," Emma teased, placed a hand on either side of Lily's waist and twisted her to make her laugh, "I've got to get dressed and we need to eat breakfast, but then you can have my full attention to play until it's time to go, okay?"

"Wahoo!" The little redhead wound her arms around Emma's neck and allowed herself to be lifted onto her mother's hip. "Mommy, can we play babies?"

"Whatever you want."

Once Emma found herself presentable in a sundress with matching jewelry, she set Lily on her stool at the kitchen island while they prepared breakfast.

"Mommy, where's Daddy?"

Emma flushed while scooping pieces of fruit salad into Lily's bowl and placing a slice of bread in the toaster. "Oh, Daddy's just tired."

Lily open and closed her hands while waiting for her food. "Did he have bad dreams last night?" She asked innocently while Emma attempted to contain her laughter.

"Oh, I think Daddy had _very_ good dreams last night. He just needed to sleep in, is all. He'll be up before we go." Lily glanced at her fruit salad with distain before requesting a plate, which Emma obliged to and raised a brow while she watched the three-year-old sort the fruits before eating them. "I think you're missing the point of the fruit salad, Lil."

"But it's all mixed up!" She piped, placing a blueberry on each spear of her fork.

Emma laughed and ruffled her hair, kissing her cheek. "It's supposed to be mixed up."

Lily crinkled her nose. "I don't like things mixed up."

Rolling her eyes, Emma was about to take her seat next to the preschooler, but sounds of Will's phone vibrating down the hall caused her to hurry towards it, throwing an "I'll be back," over her shoulder at Lily.

With a heavy sigh, she saw his father's name light up. Expecting bad news, Emma answered. "Hello."

"Hi, Em. I'm guessing my son's still out cold."

"Oh, yeah. He's...oh, wait..." She craned her neck while her husband stirred, opening one eye sleepily. "He's waking up. Would you like to talk to him?"

"When he's coherent. I know he's not too much of a morning man."

Emma covered the speaker and sat next to her curly-haired man, kissing his cheek softly and whispering, "Dad's on the phone for you."

He nodded and made a motion that he'd take the device.

Five minutes later, he stumbled into the kitchen, wearing only his boxers.

"Daddy!" Lily shouted, bouncing in her seat and kicking her legs excitedly until he drew closer. "'I'm _so_ happy to see you!"

"Oh," He yawned, wrapping an arm around her little frame. "I'm glad to see you, too. Hey, Em? My dad wants to take me to lunch today. Says he wants to talk...I can tell him no, but—"

"I can take Lily to the doctor by myself, Will." She smiled prettily and laced their fingers together, memories of the night before washing over both of them. "You need to see your dad."

He kissed her forehead and returned to the bedroom to finish his conversation.

"Mommy? You said!"

"I said what, honey?"

Lily pouted and crossed her arms. "You said you and Daddy were gonna hold me!"

"Oh, I'm sorry, but you know what? Daddy needs to go see his _own_ daddy. Don't you think Papa wants to see his son?"

She sniffed and nuzzled her face into Emma's dress. "I just wish neither of you ever left me."

The morning continued with Emma joining her daughter in the pink nursery, where Lily gave instructions as to which clothes she wanted on which doll and how she wanted their hair, then ran in circles around the room to find everything she wanted to play with.

"Alright, I've got to go," Will poked his head in at quarter till noon, smiling sadly at his daughter. "Lily, you be good for Mommy at the doctor's office, alright?"

She nodded and embraced his legs. "I love you a whole lot, Daddy."

He kissed her forehead. "I love you, too, baby. Bye, Em."

Waving, Emma sighed as she caught sight of the clock, "It's about time for us to get going, too."

The car ride over was as interesting as most any with the three-year-old, as lately, everything had become a song.

Her favorite selection that week included hits about puppies and ice cream. It took all of Emma's self-control to keep from laughing while they pulled into the office lot.

"Mommy, remember you're going to hold me tight, right?" Lily asked as she took her mother's hand upon entering the lobby.

"Of course, sweet-pea." After filling out paperwork with a freshly wiped pen, Emma pulled Lily into her lap to prevent her from playing with the no-doubt germ infested toys in the waiting area.

"Can you tell me a story while we wait, Mommy?" Lily begged, tugging at the fabric below the sweater clip of her mother's button down shirt.

Emma smiled sweetly at her innocent little girl. "What would you like me to tell you a story about?"

"About when you were little, like me?"

"Hm...Okay," Emma agreed, staring deep into Lily's chocolate brown eyes. "When I was a little girl, like you, I was very, very quiet."

"You still are quiet, Mommy!"

"I know," Emma gave Lily an eskimo kiss, making the little girl giggle. "But I was very, very shy. I didn't like to talk to anyone and I always hid behind Nana and Grandpa." Thoughts of her father were still a bit sensitive, but Emma ignored them and continued, "So, one day, Nana thought that your Aunt Annie and I needed to be in a beauty pageant. Do you know what that means?" Lily shook her head so Emma explained, "It's when you get all dressed up, and go on a stage and look very pretty, and smile and wave. There are judges, or people who decide how good you are. The prettiest, best dressed girls win."

"You won, right, Mommy? You're so pretty and dress so nice!"

Emma laughed and stroked her red curls. "Not quite...see, I was so scared, that when I got on the stage in front of the judges, I started crying and ran off stage."

"Oh, no!" Lily hugged her tightly. "Well, I still think you should have won."

Laughing again, Emma returned the embrace, enjoying the moment with her daughter. "You're too much, Lil. I love you, baby girl."

"I love you, Mommy! Can I tell you a story—"

"Lily Schuester?" A nurse called and Emma stood, carrying her daughter back and setting her on her feet as the nurse greeted them warmly. "Hi, pumpkin! How old are you, Lily?"

Hiding behind Emma's leg, Lily giggled and held three fingers in the air. "Three already? Wow, you're getting big so quick, sweetie! Can I have you take off your shoes and step onto the scale for me?" The little redhead obliged and paused on the weighing device as the numbers turned. "Twenty-five pounds, oh, that's great, Lily! You're gaining weight, finally! Now, can we have you scoot over to the wall by that stick? Thanks, babe." After pulling the plastic height-device down, the nurse congratulated Emma, "She's at twenty-nine point five inches, mom."

Lily stepped back and the nurse whisked them to the end of the hall for an auditory exam.

Meanwhile, Will sat at a small booth with his father, laughing at a joke and munching on fries. "So," His dad cleared his throat, "I really do have a reason for needing to see you today, other than just wanting to."

"Alright," The younger Schuester sat back a little while his father continued.

"Well, the past few years...Things have been a little different, at home."

"How so?" Will raised a brow, praying that his parents weren't going to be initiating a divorce so late in their marriage.

The graying man tapped his fingers on the table for a few moments before sighing and avoiding all eye contact with his son. "Will, your mom...your mom's not doing so well."

"Oh, god, Dad...what is it? What's going on?"

With a long delay in the conversation, the older Mr. Schuester finally admitted, "Your mom has Alzheimer's."

Will slid back into his seat, memories of the past few visits he shared with his parents popping into his head as he searched for a sign he may have missed.

"It, um...it's getting worse with each day and...she's just...she's hardly the same person."

The younger Schuester shook his head. "How long have you known?"

Clearing his throat, Will's father avoided his son's gaze. "Since December...I've...I wasn't sure when the proper time to tell you would be, and...I told your wife, because I was worried about how you two would feel about leaving Lily with us, given your mother's state...Don't be upset with Emma, I had to beg her not to tell you, and she insisted you needed to know much sooner than this; but she respected me enough to break it to you...but, um...the reason I couldn't...couldn't wait any longer is that, um..."

He was silent for a few moments, trying to hold back his tears and find a better way of wording the situation. "Dad, please, just...just tell me."

"It-it's gotten so bad, in a matter of months...Will, I'm going to be checking your mom into a nursing home."

"Oh, god..." He sighed, sinking even further and reaching across the table. "Dad, why?"

He shed a few tears down his wrinkled face before explaining, "Son, I can't...I can't look after her. She...changes, throughout the day. The mornings...mornings are pretty good. She sort of has a clue where she's at...but...afternoon rolls around and every day, she starts to get lost in the home, swears at herself, at me...leaves and wanders around outside and yells at the neighbors...she's just a different person. Nights are the worst...she gets violent and...Will, I just don't know what to do with her anymore. It all happened so quickly, and I..."

Will looked away, letting all the information soak in, trying to comprehend all that was happening at once, not saying a word.

"I'm so sorry for laying all this on you at once. I've been trying, really...to find a way to lay it on you, but I just...I just couldn't...and now...now I really hope you're not mad at me...because I'm really going to need your support the next few months while I adjust to this—"

"I'm not mad at you, Dad. It's just...this is...a lot, you know? And...things at our house have been sort of...off, too, I guess."

"What's wrong?"

Will bit his lip and let out the information he'd been dreading discussing. "While we were in Virginia...Emma's dad sort of...made her freak out at him...he...he thinks that Lily has OCD. And...I think he may be right." It was difficult admitting that his daughter likely had a mental illness.

The older man nodded, seeming to agree. "That...that would make sense...her little patterns and routines and how unbelievably upset she gets when they're broken. I...I'm really glad you've put her in daycare, though...I'd still love to have her over...but it's going to be really...difficult."

"Yeah, yeah...I understand Dad, don't worry about it..." He swallowed. "So, when are...when are you checking Mom in?"

He fiddled with his fork, "Next week. I've got my neighbors watching her, now. This time of day is when she starts to...become a stranger to me. I just, Will, I'm really, really sorry for keeping this from you. It's just, so hard and...I feel like I've failed, in a lot of ways. I...I'm so sorry, Will. For all of this."

It took him a moment to respond, but Will finally shook his head, staring at his plate, appetite gone. "D-Don't be sorry, Dad. Just...let's just get through this, together, alright? I...I...I've got to, go, though...I need to think, before the girls get home...I need to let this all sink in."

His father nodded in understanding and quietly stated he'd pick up the tab and watched, listlessly, as his son's back retreated.

Will threw open the garage door and walked mindlessly to his bedroom, not bothering to kick off his shoes as he made his way to the bedroom where he sat at the edge of the bed and placed his head in his hands.

The realization that all three of the most important woman in his life now had a mental illness was daunting.

Deciding he needed an Advil to clear the throbbing that was starting at the frontal lobe of his brain, Will made his way to the bathroom, rummaging through the cupboard, prepared to call Emma to ask where the pain relieving medication had gone, but found his eyes widening when they landed on something else.

* * *

Emma raised a brow when she pulled into the garage, surprised to find Will's car already parked. Usually lunch with his father turned into an all-day affair.

With as little movement as possible, Emma lifted her daughter from her car seat and moved them inside, toeing off her sandals upon entering the house, curious as to why Will wasn't catching up on sports highlights in the living room as he normally did while she and Lily were out.

Placing the little redhead in her converted crib, Emma slid off her tiny shoes, accidentally waking the sleeping beast, which was met with a whiny, "Mommy, I need my blankie!"

Which of course was still in the master bedroom, where Lily had crawled under the covers late at night — both parents were eternally grateful for adopting a 'no sleeping in the buff after intercourse' rule when she learned to climb out of her crib, for nights like those — and Emma had been to exhausted to care.

"Hold on, I'll bring it to you."

She stepped into the plush of the hallway, sighing as she wanted a break from the babbling nonsense and whining of her three-year-old, but thoughts of taking time for herself vanished when she caught sight of her husband at the edge of the bed, tear stains visible on his cheeks and head down as he was in thought.

"Will?" She questioned, stepping closer and kneeling in front of him. "Honey, what is it?"

Will shook his head, prepared to speak when a cry of, "Mommy, I need it!" Came from down the hall.

Emma sighed and stood again, kissing Will's forehead and squeezing his hand, promising to be right back as she hastily grabbed her daughter's comfort item and made her way to the pink room.

"Okay, Lily, go back to sleep. Daddy and I are closing the door, so you need to take your nap and play by yourself until it's open, okay?"

The ginger girl nodded and turned in her bed, the blanket clasped in her fists as she twisted in the blankets, muttering an "I love you Mommy."

"I love you, too, sweet-pea."

Moving quickly, Emma arrived back in her room and shut the door, returning to kneel in front of Will and wrapped her arms around him.

"What's wrong, sweetheart?" She asked, having a feeling she now knew why his outing with the older Schuester had gotten cut short, recalling the day her father-in-law had broken the news to her.

"_Mommy!" A two-and-a-half year old Lily toddled out of her grandparent's living room and into the walkway shortly before Christmas, clad in a red jumper with a green bodysuit beneath it._

"_Hi, baby!" Emma knelt with her arms open for her daughter to run into, the winter air from outside seeping through the crack of the door, sending a shiver up her green pea-coat clad spine. "Oh, let's move to a warmer spot, hm, Lil?"_

_They stepped into the living room, where Will's parents currently seemed to be in the midst of a heated discussion. Emma cringed and teetered back on her heels, snuggling her baby closer upon hearing, "Doodle, not now! We'll continue this later...don't walk away, just—ugh."_

_Will's mother stepped into Emma's sight, but the graying woman took no notice of her daughter-in-law's presence as she moved to the hall, slamming a door shut. Mr. Schuester took note of the redheads and sighed, waving for Emma to take a seat next to him. "Hello, dear. I...need to talk to you, actually."_

_She smirked at Lily, whose face had all but disappeared in her mother's hair as she snuggled deeply. "Alright...how was she today?"_

"_Lily was fine, as always. Sort of picky when I gave her an apple slice that had a centimeter of peel still on it, but she was fine...it's um...it's Doodle, erm, my wife, I need to speak with you about."_

_She set her face straight and gave him a non-verbal cue to continue._

"_I'm just going to come right out and say it...because I think beating around the bush is only going to make it more difficult." He cleared his throat, "My wife has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Now, doctors say it's in the early stages, and she's on medication and...it's not too bad in the mornings..."_

"_Oh, gosh," Emma sympathized, genuinely concerned for what the future might hold. "How...how are you holding up?"_

_He scratched the top of his head, clearly trying to stay strong. "I'm alright, but...it's going to be a very, very difficult process of...discovering what's missing and is in process of being lost...and...I guess I really just wanted to tell you, because...I don't know if you'll want Lily around her. I'd understand if you wanted to find a daycare or some place else for her to stay."_

_Emma pressed her lips together and shook her head, "I trust you. I know you'll take good care of her, even if your wife can't. If things change or get worse, we'll talk...but...um, are you planning on telling Will soon?"_

_The older Schuester rubbed his hands together and looked straight in front of him. "No. I-I can't...I just wanted...wanted you to know, to decide...for Lily...and...he's just...I'm not ready, and—"_

_Emma put a hand on his shoulder, comforting and silencing him. "It's okay, I get it, really. I won't say a word unless you want me to. Although, I hope you tell him soon, I don't like keeping things from Will...But, if you need to talk to someone about any of this, please feel free to talk to me at any time."_

_He reached out and pulled her, and Lily, into a tight embrace, as if their presence could make his problems disappear. "Thank you, Emma. You truly are an amazing woman. I couldn't have picked a better person for my son to end up with."_

Will fell slightly forward into her embrace and placed his face in the crook of her neck., savoring her company.

"Emma," He choked, eyes closing and squeezing tears onto her blouse.

"Oh," She sighed and rocked him gently, pulling him down to rest in her lap, despite their size difference. In a true roll reversal of a normal breakdown in their bedroom, Emma stroked his hair and whispered comforting words into her husband's ears, letting him know it was okay to pour his emotions in such a way to her.

As he seemed to calm somewhat, Emma glanced down to meet his eyes, pressing a quick kiss between them before asking, "What happened, Will?"

"My dad...he told me...and..." He choked again, nuzzling back into her chest while her arms started a pattern on his back.

"Will..." She whispered his name and pressed continuous kisses to his face as he often did hers when she was upset. "I know, Will...I know. It's...it's hard, to accept."

"You should know," He said suddenly and bitterly, pulling away and standing up.

Emma looked up with confused eyes. "Excuse me? What's that about? S-sit back down and we'll talk about this, alright?"

Mildly fuming, Will paced for a moment, spinning in a circle with his hand in his hair. "God...Emma..."

She became defensive, crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes. "Look, I know you're upset, but you don't need to take it out on me."

He marched to the bathroom and pulled out the pink box of ovulation testers he'd located previously.

"Want to tell me what this is about?"

Her jaw dropped and she dared to meet his eyes, but quickly looked away when she saw the frustration in them. "W-Will, I...I just..."

"You just what? Decided you want to make a baby without asking my opinion at all? Like it's only you that having another baby would effect?"

Emma stood on shaky legs and attempted to make her way closer, but he scooted back, staring at the package.

"I thought...You said, you wanted another baby, I...I wanted...I wanted to make that happen, and..."

Will shook his head, "How could you possibly think we're ready to have another child," He paused, stating what Emma feared he thought all along, "When we can barely handle the one we have now?"

* * *

Oh, hey. I still write this story, too! For those of you who read _When a Tornado Meets a Volcano_, chapter eight has been uploaded tonight, along with a Wemma one-shot that's on the smut side of fanfiction. Sincere apologies for the neglect of this one. It's going somewhere now, though.

Thanks for all the gender feedback (yes, it has been that long since I last updated). All decisions have been made, and the readers will likely be getting what they want! Thank you for your contributions to the planning process.

Also, big thanks to _Jaymafans_ for cleaning this one up for me! Thanks a million!

Thank you so much for reading! I'm hoping the last scene was somewhat reminiscent of Mattress. That's what I was going for, anyway. Angry Will scares me...Emma, too! What will the results of the argument be? Check back in a few weeks for an update! Thanks again for sticking with this story!


	6. Chapter Six

_"I thought...You said, you wanted another baby, I...I wanted...I wanted to make that happen, and..."_

_Will shook his head, "How could you possibly think we're ready to have another child," He paused, stating what Emma feared he thought all along, "When we can barely handle the one we have now?"_

Emma's eyes widened and tears threatened to spill behind them as her temper was beginning to match the color of her hair. "What do you mean we can barely handle the one we have? What are you talking about?"

Will continued to walk in circles, clearly trying to keep from lashing out physically — not that he'd ever hurt Emma, no matter how angry he was, but he was known to throw things when exceptionally aggravated. "Half the time we just bargain our way out of a tantrum, you're constantly giving in, I _know_ she slept with us last night. You let her act clingy and toddler like, always holding her and coddling her...Let her get away with everything—"

"That is _not_ true!" Emma shouted, stomping. "She's just a little girl, Will! She needs to know that we love her and that we'll always be there for her! She gets scared and our job is to comfort and protect her!"

"That doesn't mean that you have to do everything she asks or treat her like a baby! For god's sake, you won't even consider the fact that she may have a _mental_ disorder—"

"Stop," She hissed, closing her eyes and curling her fingers into defensive fists. "Do _not_ even go there. This wasn't even supposed to be about our daughter—"

Will spun around, shoulders shaking in anger as he took deep breaths to remain as calm as possible. "This is exactly what I'm talking about. Every time I want to discuss it, you find something else to spin it into. You won't even let me talk about it!"

"That's because there's nothing to discuss, Will! Lily is fine! She's _fine_!"

"God," He shook his head and sucked his bottom lip in, holding his curls and pointing with the box of testers he'd been holding to his wife. "Fine, fine. She's fine. There's nothing wrong with her. Totally normal. But...I'm not having another baby, Emma. Not until we figure out how to take care of our other one."

Tears were flowing freely for both of them, and as Will tossed the box into the trash near the nightstand and took a few deep, calming breaths, Emma choked.

"I want another baby," She whispered, sitting on the edge of the bed. "I-I wasn't sure. I kept...thinking about it, a lot...recently...and...I-I don't know. I just...knew how much you'd been talking about it, how you'd talked about it with...with my dad and...I thought, maybe...it would be a good surprise, you know? To see me happy about being pregnant, this time, especially since I'd be the one planning it...And, then you'd have the second child you wanted. I-I just...I thought it was what you wanted, Will. I'm sorry."

Will was silent for several moments and his pacing stopped. Slowly, his hands fell from his hair as he unwound, eventually turning to face his guilt-ridden wife.

"Em..." He sighed her name, moving to sit next to her, blinking quickly to keep his tears at bay.

She shook her head, wiping her cheeks with the back of her hand. "I'm so sorry, Will. I'm sorry for trying to keep it from you. And I'm so sorry about your mom. I wanted to tell you, Will...but your dad really wanted to be the one to—"

"Emma," He cut her off, trying to speak through the lump in his throat that refused to leave. She took her turn to sigh and turned to him, glad to see his anger having had subsided and his eyes no longer flaring in frustration. Rather, he was a broken frame, hands trembling and eyelashes dancing with crystal tears.

She pulled him to her once more, trying to stay strong, even though she was frustrated herself.

After a few minutes of being in her embrace silently, Will sighed a shaky breath and pulled away slightly, just enough to meet her eyes. "I love that you wanted to surprise me with a baby, Em. Really, that'd have been...an amazing gift. The most amazing you'd ever have given me. But," He paused and shifted so his eyes weren't on hers any longer, "I don't think it's very good timing. If we're going to do this again, we need to both be on board."

"Okay," She whispered, her fingers threading through his hair. "I'm sorry, Will—"

"Don't apologize for it, please, Em...I...honestly love that you wanted to do that for me. It's a beautiful thing...it's...I'm not as ready as I thought I was."

"Well...when do you think you will be ready?" Emma asked quietly, starring hard at the wall.

Will pulled out of her arms and turned to cup her cheek. "I'm not sure. I truly think we need to get things straightened out with Lily, first. I know, I _know_ you think she's fine, but something's up. Maybe it's not OCD, maybe it's just separation anxiety and that she's a little perfectionist. I don't know...but I do know that it's not normal. And I'm not saying that in spite like I did before. We're doing something wrong, and we need to figure out what that is before we try to do it again and end up making the same mistakes."

She bowed her head into his chest. "I don't want there to be something wrong with her," Emma admitted.

"Emma—"

"Because...because then it'd be _my_ fault. I would have messed her up—"

Will shook his head and pulled her back to his chest. "No, sweetheart. It wouldn't be your fault. There's nothing that can be done—"

"OCD has a genetic predisposition! She got it from me, Will!" Emma blinked fast tears away and clutched his arm. "It's my fault that she has to be perfect, that she lives in constant fear and worry!"

He mulled her words over before twisting his wife around again. "So, what are you saying? That you do think she's got it? And that the reason you're afraid to do anything about it is because you blame yourself?"

"I don't know." She sighed, the pain in confessing what had been weighing on her mind was daunting. "It's so scary, Will. I don't want her to go through what I did."

"I think," Will started, rubbing her shoulders in attempt to comfort his wife, "I think that if we intervene early enough, we could avoid some of that. Maybe it won't be as scary."

Emma covered her eyes, pushing tears back. "I can't...Let's focus on what you're feeling...hearing that about your mom could not have been easy for you." Her fingers twisted his curls while he looked away. "I know, I know how awful it is to hear...but she's going to be okay. Your dad takes good care of her, and—"

"He's putting her in a nursing home."

"What?" The redhead stared at his face, trying to read it. "What happened, Will?"

"H-he says, says she's out of control. That he can't take care of her anymore, and he's afraid she's going to hurt herself or someone else."

"Oh, sweetheart," Emma pulled him back to rest on her chest, rocking his trembling body.

"I can't believe...I can't...Emma," He cried, thoughts of his breaking family overwhelming him as he clutched her shirt, not caring that he was leaving tear strains on it.

She held him for the better part of an hour, snuggling him close and listening to his jumbled worries and stresses.

"Mommy?" A soft voice from behind their door questioned, "Mommy, are you in there?"

Will sat up, wiping his face and excusing himself to the bathroom while Emma tended to the three-year-old.

"Hi, sweet-pea," Emma lifted Lily into her arms and snuggled her close. "What can I do for you?"

"I just needed to see you..." She murmured into her mother's neck, "Where's Daddy?"

"He's using the bathroom, honey. Do you want a snack?"

"I want Daddy!" She giggled, squirming out of Emma's arms and waiting by the bathroom door, motioning for her mother to be quiet. Will opened the door and feigned fright as Lily screamed, "Boo!" She laughed so hard, she fell backwards onto the carpet, and in her joy, Will found himself smiling, too.

"Hi, baby," He chuckled, falling to his knees and tickling her until she begged for Emma to come over.

"S-save me, Mommy!"

Emma knelt next to her husband and glanced at her daughter before winking and pushing Will back until he was sprawled across the floor and she and Lily were tickling him mercilessly.

"Okay, okay," He choked through his laughter as Emma's fingers slowed their reign of terror on his stomach and Lily removed hers to wind them around his neck, stretching her small frame over his larger one.

"I love you, Daddy."

He hugged her back, then scooted her over and opened an arm, reaching for his wife, who gladly curled up in it.

Will clutched Emma's hand tightly that evening while Lily danced down the sidewalk in front of them, carefully avoiding stepping on any cracks. "What are we going to do?"

Emma let out a breath that caused her bangs to fly upward. "I don't know, Will. I just don't know."

Lily paused to glare at a large bug that was along the path. "Mommy, look! He's slimy!"

"Yuck, Lil," The older redhead cringed while Lily backed away, face perplexed.

"Can you make him move?" She pleaded, and Emma tried to contain her laughter while shaking her head.

"Just walk around it, sweet-pea. It's not going to hurt you."

"But he's in my way!"

Will scooped her up, making her little legs flail while she giggled upon being set down in front of the creature. "Thanks Daddy, you're my hero!"

He ruffled her hair before turning his attention back to his wife while their daughter skipped happily in front of them. "Would you be opposed to having her tested?"

Emma bit her lip and shrugged. Having her tested would only confirm what they already knew.

"Either way, we'd have an answer, Em."

She remained quiet until leaping into action when Lily nearly tripped over her own two feet, catching her an inch before her face would have met the concrete.

The preschooler was shocked, then burst into tears while Emma made quick work of tucking her tiny face into her shoulder. "Lil, nothing happened. It was just a little scary. You're okay."

"Nice catch," Will mumbled, pulling the clumsy girl into his hold and rubbing her back. "Baby, you're fine."

Emma sighed and curled her arm around Will's waist, eyeing her daughter. "Do you still want to go to the playground, or would you like to go home?"

"I want to go play," She muttered, fiddling with Will's shirt collar. "I'm okay."

The mother moved her right hand to brush the tears from her daughter's face, "You're a brave girl, Lily."

"I know," She laughed, turning towards Emma with a smile, squirming out of Will's arms, her near-injury forgotten while she took one of each her parents hands. "Can we hurry?"

When Lily walked over another split in the sidewalk, Emma bit her lip and turned her gaze to her husband, her pulse increasing as she finally admitted, "We should confirm the diagnosis."

"It might not be, Em. It could be other things, or nothing—"

"Will, we both know. We _know_. She needs help before she turns out like me," The last part came out as a whisper and Will moved his arm around her waist as the family arrived at their destination.

He pressed his lips together, tightening his grip. "Don't talk like that."

"Well, what do you think is going to happen? She's going to—"

"Lily going to be fine. We're going to intervene early so she doesn't go through all that you unfortunately had to. There wasn't a trigger for this, so I feel like it might be a little bit easier to work through than yours."

"Daddy, you need to catch me!" Lily commanded, tugging his shorts while taking the steps up the slide one at a time.

"It's still something she's going to have to struggle with forever! It's not something that just miraculously gets better! In case you haven't noticed, I still clean the bathroom every other day, I can't sleep on the same sheets for more than a week, our kitchen is spot—"

Will cut her off with a long, hard, deep kiss, which she melted into, winding one arm around his neck and the other at his waist. When he pulled away, he cupped her cheek, squinting against the sun, but keeping his eyes focused on hers nonetheless. "Look how far you've come, Emma. In the past four year's we've been married...the progress is unbelievable, and that's been without professional help. The most amazing thing of all, is that you've got a beautiful, happy three-year-old, whom you are letting play at a public park, outside...and you want to have another. You're not trapped by your OCD, and Lily's not going to be trapped by hers. You won't let her."

She swallowed, blinking fast to keep tears at bay while Lily waved for attention at the top of the slide. Will squeezed his wife's hand before kneeling at the bottom, where he caught the little girl, twirling her before setting her on her feet to repeat the action.

While waiting for her to climb the steps, he resumed his position, one arm curled around Emma's hips, the other cupped her cheek while she wore a sad smile. "Maybe," She started, picking at the buttons of his polo, "While we're getting help for Lily, I can finally get some real help for me, too."

He smirked, pressing his forehead to hers. "If you want to do that, I think it would be an amazing idea. Maybe you can get help together?"

"Mother-daughter therapy?" Emma laughed, her eyes sparkling copper in the sunlight while Will captured her in another kiss.

"Did you forget about me?" Lily pouted after slipping down the plastic, her arms crossed and bottom lip sticking out dramatically. Emma shook her head, moving from Will's embrace to pick up her daughter, hugging her tightly and kissing her cheek over and over. "Okay, Mommy, let me go! We have to swing now!"

"I love you, Lily," Emma reminded her as they ventured to the swings, where Lily scampered down after a hurried return of the sentiment.

Will watched, satisfied with the conclusion they seemed to have made, as Emma slowly pushed Lily higher, until she was squealing with happiness.

While it may not have been ideal circumstances, at least the three ladies in his life were going to find peace.

The fresh air always did Lily in, and she fell asleep in Will's arms on the way home from the park, giving the parents an extra hour and a half to their evening.

After wrestling her daughter's floppy frame into a pair of pajamas and spending a few minutes stroking her hair and nestling her into the blankets of her bed, Emma found Will in the empty room across the hall, a finger on his lips.

"Thinking of where we would put the crib?" She asked cautiously, while his eyebrows rose and a small smirk graced his cheeks.

"I was thinking on this wall," He responded, motioning to the expanse nearest the door. "I don't want a crib under a front window...that just seems a bit...creepy."

Extending an arm, Will pulled his wife to his side, stroking her hip and continuing to observe the room while she mused, "I don't think Lily's going to be very fond of adding another member to the family. It'll totally break her routine."

"Well..." He slid the other arm around her and swayed his hips against her backside, making her flush. "That's why we're going to take action first. Maybe it'll be something that gets worked out in therapy."

Emma's fingers rested over his while she leaned back into him, rocking to his rhythm. Out of nowhere, she commented, "I want to have a boy."

Will stopped moving and stepped in front of her, squinting and pressing a hand to her forehead.

"What?" She giggled, tugging at his belt loops.

"A month ago, you weren't even _considering_ another baby...now, not only are you desperately waiting to have one, but you want a _boy_?"

Biting her lip and wiggling her eyebrows, Emma stood on her tip-toes, positioning her lips just over his, "I want to give you a son," She whispered before kissing him sweetly.

Will's hands fell around her rear while he hoisted her onto his hips. "You're an amazing wife, you know that?"

"Only because I have such an amazing husband."

* * *

"Hey, sweet-pea," Will greeted his daughter quietly two weeks later, kissing her nose and brushing curls from her face, "Wake up, princess. We've got to get moving early this morning."

Lily was not a fan of mornings, and having been off her school-day routine for a month and a half was not boding well.

"Daddy, go 'way," She mumbled, twisting her head against a pillow and pulling a blanket over her shoulder tightly.

"Come on, Lil, we need to get dressed and eat quickly. We've got to go see Dr. Thom today, remember?"

"Where's Mommy?" She asked grumpily, sitting up and rubbing her eyes furiously. "I want Mommy."

"You know what?" Will rubbed her sides and pressed a short kiss to her forehead before pulling the rest of the blankets from her little body. "Mommy is sleeping in, for once. So let's just leave her alone and get you dressed. I'm sure I can do just as good a job picking something out as she can."

"Daddy, Mommy says you can't dress yourself!"

Will smirked and tickled Lily's chin until she wound up squealing into a pillow to hide from his fingers. "Does she really say that?"

"Yeah! She says you wear lumberjack plaid!"

At Lily's mispronunciation of 'lumberjack,' he laughed whole heartedly and snuggled his face onto the pillow with her, gently rubbing her short spine. While she relaxed into his touch, Will placed a few short kisses to the top of her head.

He sat up after a several minutes of peace. "Can you trust me to find you something nice?" He asked, lifting her from the bed and carrying the little girl towards the wardrobe.

"Mhm," She muttered drowsily while he picked out a pair of yellow shorts — with standard Emma/Lily ruffles — and an orange tank top, also ruffled.

"Does this meet your standards, princess?" Will asked jokingly while setting _his_ princess down and her sliding pajamas off.

"I guess, Daddy...Do I get ice cream after we see the doctor?"

Will pulled her shorts up, careful to make sure they didn't come past her bellybutton, as that would cause whining all day. "If you can cooperate and do what the doctor says, we'll stop on the way home."

"Oh, I'll be good, I promise!"

After pulling the shirt over her head, Will kissed her curly top once more. "That's my girl. Let's get you some breakfast."

Five hours later, the two returned to find Emma vacuuming the living room in a nervous frenzy. She and her husband had decided it would be best if she remained home while he took their daughter in for the initial round of testing, as to not encourage or discourage the little girl in the process. The moment they stepped through the door, she turned off the machine and asked, "What is the diagnosis?"

Lily, not aware of why she spent the morning in a child psychologist's room, sprinted into her mother's arms, nuzzling her face into Emma's neck.

Will toed off his sandals before kissing his wife on the cheek. "We need to go back for a few more sessions before anything's official."

"Okay, but what were today's results?" The oldest redhead in the room asked with a shaky voice.

Will shrugged a sigh, "Dr. Thom says it looks like textbook OCD, but it's very difficult to diagnose children with it when they're as young as Lily is. They usually wait until the kid is older than six to give the real—"

"So we have to wait three years?" Emma's tone shifted from worry to anger as she hugged Lily tighter.

"No, we're going to know in a few weeks. The signs are there, the doctor just wants me to observe some things and write them down at home and do more testing before he makes a decision."

Emma took a few calming breaths before resting on the sofa, cradling Lily, who was drifting to sleep while stroking her mother's shirt collar. "What do we do when we know for sure?"

Will scratched his curls, wincing. "Dr. Thom said that medication is an option, but he'd prefer to see her in a weekly therapy program. He said that would ultimately be the most rewarding, life-changing method of treatment."

When she didn't speak, Will rubbed his wife's neck, "Em...it's going to be alright. She's going to do fine. We'll all be just fine."

"Your dad called me," She said, changing the topic and stroking Lily's cheek while the little girl dozed. "He said your mom is moving in tomorrow, officially. He'd like us to be there if we can. I told him I would be, but I didn't want to speak for you."

Pressing his lips together at the suddenness of the proposition, Will leaned back against the couch cushion. "I _want_ to go...but—"

"Hey," A soft smile was suddenly present on Emma's face as she moved one hand from under Lily to lace her fingers with her husband's, "You did for me today, what I couldn't do. I can do for you tomorrow, what you can't do. That's what this relationship is, isn't it? Being there for one another?"

Will felt tears pooling into his eyes as he moved his lips to the side of Emma's forehead, kissing her temple. "You're right. Thank you...I love you."

"And I love both of you," Came Lily's voice suddenly, making both parents laugh. "Can I come take my nap in your bed?"

Her father yawned and glanced at Emma, "I don't know about you, but I could use a nap, too. What do you say to family nap time?"

The three trekked down the hall, Will opening the door and pulling down the covers so Emma could set their daughter in the middle. Before she could climb in alongside her, Will grabbed her hand and kissed the palm. "I...I think you should stop taking your birth control."

Her eyes sparkled as she whispered, "Really?"

His lips crashed against hers and he pulled away before they could get carried away in front of their three-year-old. "Really."

She hugged him tightly and was prepared to never let go when a small whine from their bed reminded them of the child they currently had, rather than the one they would be making.

"Mommy, come lay down!"

Both parents obliged, Emma nuzzling the little girl's hair with her cheek and Will wrapping a strong arm around her tiny belly. With a round of 'I love you,'s the family fell asleep in the cool of a mid-summer's afternoon.

* * *

Super short, but super sweet. I really liked the way the first scene came out...Although, I have a feeling there will be a few "Emma's OOC" comments towards Emma rooting for another baby, and for some part, I agree. But I truly believe that she's going to change once she's a mother.

Thanks for all the reviews! Time for makin' baby number two!

Your feedback is much appreciated.


	7. Chapter Seven

Will snuggled his daughter tight while waiting for his wife to return from a day with his father. She'd left thirteen hours ago, and had provided him with only a single text message of information as to what was going on.

Laying in Lily's converted crib while she slept peacefully on his chest, Will pulled out his cell phone for what seemed like the hundredth time in ten minutes, praying for Emma to let him know what was happening and when she'd be home. He hadn't slept the night before, his mind reeling in worry and guilt. All he wanted now was for the woman he loved to walk through the door, tell him everything went well at the nursing home, his mother was adjusting and his father was handling it fine. He wanted her to kiss Lily's forehead and stroke her curls, then pull him into a steaming, soothing, lavender-scented bath followed by spooning and sleeping in until ten the following morning.

But across town, Will's comfort was the furthest thought from his wife's mind as she attempted to counsel his crumbling father. They'd dropped off the Alzheimer-ridden woman at the nursing home and spent several hours with her, making sure her room was set up, and clean. They talked for a long period of time about the younger Schuester couple's plans for Lily in the fall, and for most of the time, Mrs. Schuester had been cognitively receptive to what was being said, and seemed to be remembering who was with her — although, Emma was often referred to as Terri.

As the afternoon wore on, her functionality wore off. When she threw a pillow at Emma's father-in-law, she suggested they go back to his house, where he'd broken down sobbing for the better part of an hour while Emma sat, rubbing his back, much in the same way she had done for Will three weeks previously.

After he calmed, Emma made tea and whipped together a quick batch of cookies, knowing Will's father was just as fond of the baked goods as his son.

Spending the next several hours in what was essentially a counseling session, Emma reassured Mr. Schuester that he'd made the right decision, both for himself and his wife. With a long hug, he'd pulled away and tucked a strand of hair behind his daughter-in-law's ear, just as the younger version of himself so often did. With a hoarse voice, he had stated, "You are such a blessing to me in every way, Emma. You take care of my son, loving him in the way he deserves to be...you have been an excellent mother to my granddaughter, and now you're taking care of me...I am so glad you're apart of our family."

She could only nod her appreciation for his words, her throat lumped with unshed tears. After another bone-crushing hug, the two departed the home for a light dinner at a local diner, where Emma shared the plan of starting therapy with Lily and working on a second pregnancy. When Mr. Schuester asked why, she shrugged and put on a pretty, dreamy smile that she often felt tugging on her when she spoke of wanting another baby, as if her endorphins were trying to make it happen sooner than physically possible. "I want to give you a grandson."

The statement had him crying again, and the gray-haired man moved from the seat opposite Emma to embrace her once more.

Returning to the residence had the two of them pouring over photo albums and trinkets, most of which Emma had never seen before. They laughed and grinned endlessly, shared a few mutual tears when they found Will's high school and early years with Terri, when his carefree smile had turned into a forced reflection of the boy he'd been. They mourned the loss of happiness Will experienced for fifteen years, but found themselves rejoicing once more when the albums started their relationship, chronicling the first truly contented era the Schuester family as a whole had received in years.

When she noticed it was already eleven-thirty, Emma gasped and blubbered an apology for staying long past her due, but was ignored as the strong arms of Will's father wrapped around her shoulders for the final time that day, thanking her continuously for staying with him throughout the day. She nodded and pressed a kiss to his cheek, promising Will would be over soon, and at the very least, she'd bring Lily by within the next week.

Arriving home at almost midnight, Emma was slightly saddened to not see her husband waiting up for her, having expected a parade of questions. With a sigh, she tossed her keys into their proper place on a shelving unit near the garage door, lining her purse neatly on its hook, then padded down the hall to the bedroom to toss on a pair of pajamas and curl up next to Will.

Having paused at Lily's door to kiss her daughter's forehead and run her fingers through the fiery curls as she did every night, Emma's heart melted at the sight of Will sound asleep on the three-year-old sized bed, one leg bent up, the other hanging off the edge, with the little girl sprawled on top of him.

Quickly changing out of her summer dress and into a pair of family-appropriate nighttime attire, Emma maneuvered her own body into the pile on the toddler bed, careful to make her movements light so both her reasons for living would stay asleep.

Emma snuck out of the room first the following morning to prepare a gourmet breakfast for her family. Will's nose woke him up some twenty minutes later and he joined her in the kitchen with a sleepy Lily, who clung to his shoulder in a monkey-like fashion.

She met him with a smile while he wrestled the three-year-old off of him and placed her on the island countertop to rub her eyes and grumpily wait to be greeted by her mother.

"I missed you," He murmured into her neck when she pulled him into her arms. "I hate falling asleep without you...when did you get home?"

"I missed you too," She replied with a kiss to his lips. "I got home around midnight."

He kissed her back. "I just missed you then. Sorry for sleeping in Lily's bed...you know I can't sleep alone...Although after the day we had yesterday, I wasn't sure I wanted to be within ten feet of the princess...But, anyway...how are my parents?"

"Oh," Emma started, clearly not sure she wanted to dispense the full story. She wanted Will to spend time with his father, but that would mean she'd likely have to give in and call her own, apologizing for her abrupt exit in June after his likely correct diagnosis of Lily. She wasn't prepared for that yet. "Your dad would like to see you. A lot. He loves you. Your mom did pretty good settling in."

He blinked fast, hoping for more information. "Anything else?"

"Go see them, Will," She sighed, cupping his cheek. "I'll tell you more when we don't have the presence of a munchkin."

Lily seemed to read the code and pouted while she became more alert. "Mommy, you didn't even _say hi_ to me."

Emma flipped a pancake then turned to her little girl, putting a hand on either side of the counter. "Good morning, your royal highness." Lily scowled again, not a fan of being treated the way she often treated others. "Can I see a smile?"

She bore a lopsided grin and reached up for a long hug. Emma lifted her from the counter and rocked her slowly while flipping another pancake.

* * *

Will took a deep, reassuring breath as his hand held a white grip on the door handle of his mother's room.

It had taken Emma a week and a half to convince him to go, and now he wanted nothing more than to turn around to the lobby where she was waiting with Lily, having wanted to give him time alone before the three-year-old stole the attention in the room.

His mother was sitting in a corner, reading glasses perched on the edge of her nose as she flipped through the morning newspaper.

"William!" She stood upon spotting him, a hand on her hip. "Where have you been? I haven't seen you in months!"

Surprised that she could remember how long it had been since he'd last seen her — June, Lily's birthday, and he'd barely spent time with his mother while he and his father assembled her playscape — Will reached out for a long hug from the stout woman, sighing in her embrace.

For years, he'd avoided being in his mother's presence. There wasn't a logical or traumatizing reason behind it, just the fact that she was rarely sober and when she was, there was always yelling and belittling, and the environment wasn't conducive to his personal needs.

When his mom had originally brought up the idea of taking Lily in the mornings so Emma could work, he'd shot her down in less than a heartbeat. However, his father had convinced them he'd never leave the alcoholic alone with the infant. He promised that she'd be fine.

But now, as he watched her struggle to recall names, events, and constantly referred to Emma as Terri, Will was not only ready to leave and not come back, but to question the parental abilities of his wife, who had left their daughter in the mentally ill woman's care for months without telling him.

For the duration of his visit, Will spoke solely when spoken to, and kept his answers short. In a combination of frustration and hurt, he felt it would be best to keep his mouth shut, in hope of trapping words he'd regret.

"Will, I'm glad you came," She said about an hour later, pulling him close. "Please come back sometime soon. I know you probably won't want to, but—"

He shook his head, pressing a kiss to her cheek. "Mom, I'll be here whenever you want me to be...Lily and Em are in the lobby, if you want to see them." The first statement was a lie. He wished he never had to return to the nursing home again, and would do most anything in his power to prevent it.

"Who's Em?" The woman asked, her wrinkled face twisted into confusion.

Will sighed and raked a hand through his curly hair. "My wife, Mom. Emma. Red hair, brown eyes...mother of my child..."

"Who?"

In the waiting area, Emma was at her wit's end attempting to keep her preschooler entertained. There weren't toys in the room, and the television was blaring a soap opera which was far from age-appropriate. As she was about to suggest a walk, Will emerged from down the hall, looking anything but happy to have seen his mother.

She stood, motioning for Lily to stay seated with her coloring book while she made her way to wrap her arms around her husband, who avoided the embrace, crossing his arms grumpily. "Will?" She raised a brow, resting a hand on his upper arm.

"I don't...You might not want to go in there right now," He grunted, lips in a straight line as he tried not to take out his anger on his wife.

"Oh, gosh...is everything alright?

He sat down, fully aware that Lily was watching his every move with wide eyes, wanting desperately to jump into his arms and hug him as hard as she could.

"She, um...she thinks you're Terri, Em. I—"

Emma sat down next to him, keeping one hand in her lap while the other maneuvered to lightly rake her nails across his back. "It's okay. She's been doing that for months, Will."

He twisted his head towards her, eyes flashing in hurt while pulling away from her touch. "God...Emma, _how_ could you not tell me? How could you leave Lily over there for hours at a time, knowing what she was being exposed to?"

Trying to force a lump down in her throat and keep in mind she had done the right thing, Emma shook her head. "It wasn't my place to say, Will. You know that. And you know I would _never_ subject Lily to _anything_ I didn't think she could deal with. Your father is an amazing man. He took perfectly good care of her."

"But what if something had happened? He said my mom was getting violent, that's why he had her moved and—"

She cut him off, shaking her head and taking one of his hands into her own, gripping it tightly in hopes he wouldn't pull away. "Nothing happened, Will. Your dad loves Lily as much as he loves you, and he would _never_ let anything happen to her. That's why he did what he did. He didn't want you to know because he didn't want to see you hurt, Will. Unfortunately, he couldn't protect you as well as he protected your daughter."

He bowed his head and let a silent sob quake through his body, and at the sight, Lily refused to stay obedient and ran from her crayons to her father, where she was denied her desire to comfort him by Emma, who shook her head and pointed back to the seat.

"But, I want to help Daddy—"

Will brushed Emma's hand from the air and swept Lily into his lap, composing himself and pressing a kiss against his daughter's head, as she was the only person who hadn't somehow upset him in the past hour.

"Daddy, how come you're sad?"

He let out a humorless laugh, squeezing her tightly. "Daddy's just having a bad day, sweet-pea."

Emma interrupted their bonding time by clearing her throat and reaching for Lily. "Come on, time to go see Grandma."

Will shot her another look, clearly not wanting his daughter anywhere near his mother.

She ignored it and carried Lily down the hall, dreading alone time with Will later in the day, when she'd be subjected to a tireless rant that would likely end in tears for both of them, which would probably bring both parties no closer to a resolution.

The couple managed to stay argument free while in the confines of the nursing home, and even the ride home had been uneventful, if not a bit awkward. But by the time Lily was placed in her bed for a nap, Will's head was ready to explode.

"I can't even believe—" He started, pulling himself to his feet when Emma met him in the kitchen moments after kissing her daughter's cheek and closing her door. She cut him off, crossing her arms and setting her face firmly.

"Go run, Will."

"—You would...What?"

She opened the refrigerator, beginning her weekly process of cleaning it out. "You're really frustrated and have a lot on your mind. With your dad, mom, Lily, _and_ myself, you're dealing with one too many mental issues. You need time to sort out your own before you rip me apart for things outside of my control."

"I don't _need_ to run, Emma, I _need_ to understand why—"

Gripping the handle of the cooling device, she shook her head. "I'm not talking to you until you go for a run. You'll understand when you take time to really think about why the people around you have done what they have."

His fingers tugged at his curls in frustration and his voice was near shouting range when he spat a low-blow. "Emma, you're such a hypocrite! You tell me that I need to _sort through things_ and accept them, but how long does it take you to accept change? I don't...I just, I—"

She blinked back tears and sighed, "You need to run, Will. Please. I don't want to argue with you anymore. I love you and hate it when I say things that hurt you. Can we please come back to this when you're calm? You always give me time to cool down with a shower. You need to run."

He turned on his heel, fuming as he stormed to change into a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, then pulling the laces of his tennis shoes as hard as he could — realizing thirty seconds later they were too tight.

When he slammed the front door, Emma winced and breathed in relief that he was gone so she could cry without feeling overly pathetic.

Sitting in a heap on the white kitchen tile, Emma hadn't even noticed when Lily had arrived in the room, a worried expression on her face. "Mommy, why are you crying? Why was there yelling?"

She pulled the little girl towards her, using her child as a comfort just as her husband had done previously in the day. "Mommy and Daddy are just having a little argument. It's okay, though. It's nothing at all for you to be worried about. Let's go lay down, okay?"

"Where did Daddy go?"

"He went to go get some exercise. He'll be back later."

"Does he still love us?"

Emma carried them to the sofa, opting to stretch out on the plush cushions rather than Lily's bitty-sized bed, or lay in her own without her husband.

"Of course Daddy still loves us, sweetie. He's just grumpy. He'll be happier later."

Lily yawned and curled up on Emma's chest, her face settling into the hollow of her neck. "I fit good here, Mommy."

She couldn't help but let her gaze wander downwards, where Lily was positioned predominantly on the right side of her body. With a smile tugging at her lips, Emma pondered how good a little boy would look curled up on her left.

When Will returned some forty minutes later, practically dripping in sweat from the August heat, Emma detangled Lily from her hold and waited for Will to make the first move.

After unlacing his shoes and moving to the kitchen for a glass of water, he turned to his wife and sighed, cupping the back of her head with one large hand and pressing his lips to her temple. "Let me shower, then we'll talk, okay?"

"Okay," She whispered with a smile, glad to see that time alone had done him good.

When he was through, Will stepped back into the kitchen where she was patiently sitting on a stool, his hair in wet curls and back muscles rippling out of the tight shirt he had put on. Pulling himself into the adjacent seat, he took both Emma's hands and sighed heavily.

"I'm sorry for being such an asshole. Thank you for making me take time to calm down."

She leaned forward and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. "You're forgiven. I know _I'm_ not the easiest person to deal with when I'm upset."

He stroked her thumb with his, kissing her in return.

"This has been...a hell of a summer," Will sighed, leaning back against the plush of the chair. "I'm obviously not handling all the news well."

Emma shook her head, "I haven't either, you know that. But we're working through it one step at a time. Tomorrow, Lily has another session...and much like you were willing to go see your mom, I think I'd like to go be supportive of my daughter—"

"Em, you don't have to—"

"I know, I know...But I want to."

He cupped her cheek and smiled softly. "You're so much stronger than I am," He breathed deeply for the second time, letting his hand fall. "My dad called again, while I was out. I still don't know if I can talk to him."

"Hm, my dad called while I was entertaining Lily earlier. I ignored it," Emma gave a soft laugh, "Guess we've got some daddy issues to work out...But you know what? I think we're doing a pretty good job handling all the situations that we've been thrown." Will nodded and pulled her close. While she had her hands clasped on his shoulders, she whispered, "Do you want to talk about how you felt when you were with your mom? You came out so upset."

"It just...I was so angry when she called you Terri. I don't know why...And...I mean, she would never have won mother of the year when I was little, just...seeing her like this is hard. I was always much closer to my dad, and I...I don't know how to connect to her anymore, Em."

Emma pressed a warm kiss to his temple, pulling away to look him in the eyes. "I think, that...You need to make up with your dad. He's struggling with the same things you are, and I know, I _know_, Will...how upset he has made you. I really do. But, he loves you so much and _needs_ his son right now."

Will bit his lip and stood, locating Emma's cellphone in the living room and pressing it into her palms. "I'll work on my relationship with my dad if you work on yours. Deal?"

She blinked a few times before scrolling through her contact list, showing him the name highlighted and walked into the bedroom.

By the time she emerged, eyes red and puffy, Lily had woken up and was waiting patiently on Will's lap as he talked on the phone, in much the same state that his wife was in.

"Yeah, it's been nice talking to you, too, Dad...we'll see you later this week, alright? I love you, too...Bye."

Emma laughed at the sight of them both and quickly pressed a kiss to Will's lips before wiping his tears away with her thumbs, scooting Lily over so she could share his lap.

"Mommy, Daddy...why are you so sad?" The little redhead questioned, genuinely concerned for her parents.

"We're just having a bad day, Lily. Everything is fine. You're not in trouble and your Daddy and I are not mad at each other, or you."

"You know what you need?" She asked as Emma placed her head on Will's shoulder. "You need a hug!"

Will smiled as the three-year-old stretched her tiny arms around both of their necks, kissing their cheeks and receiving plenty of kisses back.

* * *

Emma cried into Will's shoulder as she watched her daughter through a two-way mirror in the psychologist's office; knowing that the diagnosis would be confirmed by watching the array of activities the doctor had her performing.

"And why is this block in this group, Lily?" She heard him ask her daughter through a speaker in the ceiling.

"'Cause it's like the rest of them!" The preschooler responded, swinging her legs. "Can I please go see Mommy now? She's sitting right out there!" She pouted, pointing towards what she thought was a mirror as she had after every small task she'd been given, desperate to have the support of her mother as she completed them, and the reassurance that what she was doing was okay.

"Nope, not now, Lily. We still have a few more things to do. Now, can you show me where—"

"I want Mommy!"

"I know you want your mother, Lily. But first we—"

"No more!" She yelled, standing up and crossing the polka-dotted rug in the child-themed observation room. "I _need_ Mommy."

"Hey, Lily," The young, blonde doctor sighed, moving from his seat to try and get in her head at her level. "You did okay last time, and your mum wasn't even here! What's so upsetting about today?"

"I need her. I need Mommy." She cried, her breaths coming out as pants as she went from upset to hysterical. "I need her, please?"

Emma felt just as tortured as her daughter while watching the scene, and was thankful Will was around to hold her in place or she'd have been through the door an hour ago when her baby cried the first time.

"Okay, you know what, Lily? Since you asked so nicely, how about we do have your mum step in for a bit...Emma?" He opened the door and motioned for the older redhead to step into the room to make an observation of how Lily would act when given what she wanted.

Emma quickly mopped her face up and stepped into the playful, yet oddly sterile space, immediately bending down and opening her ams for the upset version of Lily that barreled into her embrace, her little shoulders shaking. "Sweat-pea," She sighed, kissing her daughter's temple, "Lily, you're just fine. Let's sit down and finish what Dr. Thom needs us to, then we can get out of here, okay?"

"Mommy, I-I just want you!"

"You have me, Lily. Let's finish, okay?"

She shook her head, but Emma moved them anyway, trying to wrestle Lily off so she could sit in her own seat.

"Mommy! Don't let go!" She begged, clinging on tightly.

"Okay, okay," She sighed and turned Lily in her lap, brushing the tears from her blotchy face and looking straight at Dr. Thom.

"Feel a little better with Mum in the room, Lily?" He asked and she hiccuped, not answering, just averting herself further into Emma's hold. "Alright, can you please show me where you would put this green triangle?"

Lily refused to reach out until Emma whispered, "It's okay...tell him where you think it goes."

Finally closing her fingers around the plastic, she placed it into a stack of other green triangles, lining up its edges precisely with the others.

"Mommy, is that right?" She asked, seeking approval.

"I don't know, Lily, do you think it's right?"

Her lower lip quivered and she buried her face into Emma's neck, stroking her shirt collar. "I don't know, Mommy! What if it's wrong?"

"Oh, gosh, nothing, honey!" Emma held her tightly, rubbing her back. "Sweetheart, you're not getting into any trouble for this."

"I want to go home!"

"Soon, right Dr. Thom?"

He scribbled down a few notes and nodded, "We can be done here. Let's take an hour or so; you guys grab some lunch while I look over a few things. Meet back in my office around noon?"

Emma nodded and carried Lily to meet Will, where they were both pulled into his arms and he took Lily, keeping one hand locked in his wife's as they walked to the car in silence, the only sounds were that of their daughter's sniffles as they drove to a small diner a few minutes away from the office.

They hadn't even been seated when a sudden loud wail of, "Mr. Schue!" grasped their attention, and the family turned to see Finn Hudson and Quinn Fabray at a circular booth to their left.

The waitress smiled and led them to it, asking if they'd all like to sit together and after being brought a booster seat for the miserable three-year-old, who was placed between Quinn and Emma and ordering their usual meals, they were left to catch up.

"It's so good to see you, oh, gosh, I don't even know where to start! It's been almost a whole year since you were last in town, Quinn! How are you?" Emma gushed, happy to see one of her all-time favorite students, even three years post-graduation.

"It's been a crazy year," She laughed, having spent most of her sophomore experience in Arizona, where she'd chosen to study, much like her mother had. "But it was amazing I love Arizona. I just got back last night and was going to call you when Finn and I were done with lunch to see if we could come over...Lily, look at you! Oh, are you having a bad day, munchkin?"

She placed her arms on the table and hid her face in them while Emma rubbed her back. "I'll explain in a little bit," she sighed.

Will turned his attention to the football quarterback who he still saw much of himself in. "Finn, when did you get back?"

"Yesterday afternoon, my squad was given two weeks off, and Rachel's coming home from New York in two days, so we're going to be spending some time together."

"How's military life? Are you two still dating?" Emma asked quickly as Lily moved from the hard plastic seat to her lap, still crying silently.

"Not bad at all, I've got ten more months of active duty, then I'll be in the reserves for a few years while I do some college stuff. I'm going to do some military engineering classes so I can hopefully move up a few ranks. But, no, Rachel and I aren't really...dating. We decided to keep things...non-romantic while we're apart. But she's still my best friend, and once we're both ready for the real world, I'm sure we'll be back together. So what's up with my favorite girl?" Finn asked, referring to the crumbling version of Lily before them.

Will sighed and leaned back in the booth, meeting Emma's eyes to silently ask if it was alright to tell the two McKinley alumni what their current life story was.

"We're um...having Lily tested for OCD. We just got out of a session," He said simply, not meeting any of their eyes as he picked at a straw wrapper.

Neither of the twenty-year-olds spoke as they processed the information.

Emma tried to place Lily back in her seat as a basket of crackers and bread was brought to the table, but she was having none of it, clinging tighter and crying harder.

"Baby," She sighed, "Lily, it's okay...We're all done for today."

"No!" She sobbed, "We have to go back!"

Will ran a hand through his hair, giving Finn and Quinn an apologetic glance. "Sorry you have to see her like this. Em...Should we call Dr. Thom and tell him we can't come in?"

"Maybe I'll just take her home and you could go," She sighed, twisting Lily's curls. "I want to know what he has to say."

Quinn cleared her throat, "Finn and I could take her, we were just going to do some shopping this afternoon..."

"Oh, that's very sweet of you, Quinn...but, um...Lily—"

"I want to go home," She said pulling away from Emma's chest, which was covered in the little girl's tear stains, "You and Quinn take me home."

"Well, if Quinn takes you it'll just be her and Finn. I'll go with Daddy. If I take you, it'll just be me. You aren't getting both."

She cried again, pouting back into her mother's shirt. Emma took a calming breath and looked back at Quinn. "You know what, why don't you guys take her, if you don't mind...that way I don't go crazy. She'll probably sleep, anyways."

They consumed their meal quickly once it was brought, Lily didn't touch hers, but neither parent was surprised. Once they paid, Will moved her car seat to Finn's beat-up Taurus, threatening him within an inch of his life that if anything happened while his daughter was in the car, so help him...

"I've got it under control, Mr. Schue," He laughed, clapping the older man on the back and attempting to wrestle Lily from her mother's hold. "Come on, Baby L, it's time to go home. We're going to play whatever you want, okay?"

"No! I want Mommy to come!"

"Lily Ann, no. You're going with Quinn and Finn. Daddy and I will be home soon."

Will slipped his house key off his wad of others, placing it in Finn's palm while Emma detached Lily from her front and forced her into the car seat, buckling her in and pressing a kiss to her forehead while she hollered to be let go.

"I'm so sorry about all of this, but thank you, truly, for taking her," She sighed as Quinn settled herself next to the hysterical three-year-old in the backseat, rubbing her legs in an effort to soothe her.

"It's no problem. We'll see you in a few hours," The blonde responded, closing the door and keeping eye-contact with the mother of the little girl she was now responsible for as they drove off.

"Hey," Will whispered, taking his wife's hand and leading them to their own vehicle, "We're going to make it through today, Em. We're going to be alright."

* * *

"I do not like diagnosing a child as young as Lily with a mental condition that will follow them around for life. Usually I wouldn't give an official diagnosis of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder until a child is somewhere between seven and twelve, because as you may know, as educators, preschool-aged children are often just...the way Lily is. Needy, clingy, perfectionists. They're ego-centrical, but that's because they're at that cognitive level, which is completely normal."

Dr. Thom sighed upon looking up from his notes and seeing the concerned looks on the faces of the parents before him. "However, given Lily's genetic history...I'm going to say that her patterns and behaviors are not typical of a three-year-old. My diagnosis is that she does, in fact, have OCD."

Emma bit her lip, having expected to hear the words, although that didn't mean she was completely prepared for them. Trying to keep her tears at bay, she asked, through the lump in her throat, "You're sure?"

"I have the results of the tests I've been performing over the past month," He said, pulling out sheets and handing them to Emma, who knew how to read such results from her counselor training. "She scores positive over ninety-seven percent of the time. These, along with the notes Will took at home during the past few weeks...And after witnessing one of the meltdowns that he had previously described to me...I can honestly say it's classic, textbook OCD. If you are worried about the diagnosis being done so early, however, we can edit paperwork so that she can be re-evaluated in a few years—"

Emma shook her head, "There's no need to put her through that again. I think," She turned to Will, "We can accept this, now, right?"

He nodded, taking the papers form her hands and scanning his eyes over them. "We've been ignoring it long enough already. So...what do we do now?"

Dr. Thom cleared his throat and sat forward, bringing his hands together. "There are a lot of treatment options, as you may know," He said with a glance in Emma's direction. "I am not an advocate of medication for children, but there are some doctors who feel that is the best option. If you want to go that route, I can prescribe SSRI's—"

"No," Emma interrupted firmly, "I wouldn't put myself on those, and I am not about to give them to my three-year-old. Absolutely not."

Will gave her a look, "Em, I think we should consider all of our options, here. This isn't about what has worked for you, this is about what is going to work for Lily—"

"Don't you remember when I tried them, Will? Back when we were first dating? Don't you remember how unbearably miserable I was? Do you want that for your daughter?"

He opened and closed his mouth, turning his attention back to Dr. Thom, "What are our other options?"

"What I would recommend is called behavioral therapy. There, she'll slowly learn to accept change in routine and understand that she doesn't always need to be perfect...It's not going to be easy, this young, because as I said, she's still got a very immature way of thinking. It may be a few years of therapy before you start to see any real improvement, but starting soon will be beneficial. As with any disorder, early intervention is the key, that way some twenty years down the road, she's not still struggling with the most basic activities."

Emma twisted the fabric of her skirt, staring hard at the floor. Will took notice and placed a loving hand on her leg above her knee.

Dr. Thom continued to talk about the condition and what they could expect, but Emma's thoughts were at home with the three-year-old who was now plagued with the same nightmarish disorder she'd been suffering with for so long.

"...And it's perfectly normal to grieve...support groups...books...give me a call when you've made some decisions, alright?"

Will stood, shaking the doctor's hand and thanking him for his time, urging Emma up and taking a folder of papers that they'd been given.

"Let's go for a walk," He sighed while they checked out, "Emma, I know I need to clear my head before we get back to a screaming three-year-old."

She nodded in agreement, desperate to be alone with her husband while she absorbed all that had just happened, seeking his comfort in what would likely be their most trying time as a family.

They drove to the local park and Will laced their fingers together as they walked through the rows of weeping willows that lined the path they typically walked to the playground with Lily.

"Alright, now that we've had a breath of fresh air," Will said after five minutes of comfortable silence, "Let's talk about this."

"I really don't want to cry in public," Emma sighed, leaning a little against him. "I feel bad, Will. I know it's not my fault, but I can't help feeling guilty, and—"

"Sh, sh, Em," Will shook his head, "I know you're going to have that Mommy-guilt or whatever...but you know what? I think this is a time when your OCD is going to be a good thing."

"And how is that?"

"Because, you'll always be able to pick Lily up and hold her close and tell her you know exactly what she's feeling. I won't be able to do that for her...but you will. She adores you, Emma...And knowing that you have it too is going to make her...management process that much easier. I think she'll be more receptive to treatment with you encouraging her to try it."

Emma shook her head, "How do we even explain to a three-year-old that she's got a mental problem?"

Will was silent at the question while they rounded a path that led to a small pond, where Lily often spent time watching fish pop out of the water, laughing crazily as they did so. "I don't know. But I think Dr. Thom was right, we should do as much intervention as we can now."

"So she doesn't end up the thirty-year-old virgin like myself?" Emma teased, leaning her elbows on the railing that peered over the water.

"Well, that would be okay," He laughed, scuffing his toe against the ground. "Keep her out of trouble for as long as possible."

Emma gave a sad smile and puffed a stray hair out of her eyes. "But you have a point, we do need to get her in some sort of program that will help her out; teach her to be accepting of new routines and patterns. That way by the time we bring another baby into the world," She started, reaching towards Will's shirt and pulling him close to her, "We won't rock _her_ world to hard."

"You're really excited about this new baby, hm?" Will smirked and rested his forehead against hers. "What do you say we go home, catch up properly with Quinn and Finn, snuggle our girl and spend some time working on making that baby?"

* * *

"...So I ended up with an A. It was worth the fight," Quinn grinned as she finish telling a story about her success in a biology class, leaving Emma beaming with pride.

"It's always worth the fight, you're paying for it, might as well—Lily," Emma turned her attention from the blonde on the sofa to her little girl who arrived in the living room rubbing sleep out of her eyes.

Lily sniffed and turned her lips down as she stared at her mother, contemplating what her first move would be. "Mommy, are you mad at me?"

"What? Sweetie, no, why would you think that?"

"'Cause you left...And I wouldn't stop crying."

Emma crossed the carpet, lifting her daughter into her arms and snuggling her close, as Will suggested they do. "No, Lily. I am not mad at you. Daddy and I had to go back to Dr. Thom's office and you were so upset that we thought going home would be better for you. Quinn said you stopped crying when you got here, so I think we were right. Did you have fun playing with her and Finn?"

"They pushed me on the swing. And Finn dressed up in my fairy wings. It was really funny. They read me a story, too. Then I fell asleep. But I missed you," She said, wrapping an arm around Emma's neck and nuzzling into it.

"I missed you, too...Would you like to eat something?"

She shook her curls and sighed in a high-pitched tone. "Mommy, can we go to sleep in your bed?"

"Lily, it's not even close to bedtime and you just woke up from a nap. You can't possibly be tired...what's wrong?"

"I just want to be with you," She sighed again, "Mommy," Her chin quivered and tears streamed down her already red face.

Quinn stood, clearing her throat. "You know what? I'll be home for another two weeks, I think you guys are in need of some alone time."

"Thank you," Emma mouthed, "I'll call you sometime tomorrow."

The blonde smiled sadly, gently running a hand along Lily's back and kissing the top of her head as she went to fetch Finn from the backyard, leaving with him in tow and Will following shortly behind.

"Lily, what's upsetting you so much?" Emma rested her head against hers, "Sweet-pea, talk to me."

"I messed up!"

"Messed up what, Lil?" Will moved to take her into his lap but her arms were in a vice grip around Emma's neck, forcing him to back off and meet his wife's concerned gaze.

She shook, "At the doctor's! I kept messing up! I didn't know what was right!"

Emma attempted to reassure her, "Lily, there was no right or wrong answer to the questions Dr. Thom was asking you. He just wanted to see what you thought. You did everything he needed you to. You did a very good job."

"But then I was crying! And he was so mad! And we had to leave!"

"Lily, Lily..." Emma rocked her, "Honestly, you did just fine. Everything was okay. You did everything you were supposed to. Lily, Daddy and I talked to Dr. Thom when Quinn and Finn took you home."

Will nodded, encouraging her to keep talking about the disorder with the three-year-old. "Actually, let me go grab something," She muttered, forcing the girl in Will's arms.

Lily protested briefly but eventually calmed in the sculpted arms of her father while Emma returned with three magnets and her security blanket, which she took gladly, rubbing the fabric before putting it over her little legs.

Emma sat back down and started her explanation of OCD to her preschooler. "Lily, Dr. Thom was asking you a _lot_ of questions. There wasn't a right or wrong answer to any of those questions. You do know that, right?"

"Yeah," She mumbled, tugging at Will's shirt collar and sighing.

"Dr. Thom wasn't looking for a right or wrong answer. He was just looking to see how you answered those questions. When you did, he wrote down all your..." Emma trailed off, realizing there wasn't any way her preschooler was going to comprehend the reasons behind the screening she'd had. Taking a different approach, she held one of the magnets up. "Lily, do you remember what this letter is?"

"O!" She said loudly, a small smile appearing on her face for what may have been the first time that day as she knew for certain she was correct.

"That's right! You're so smart," Emma cheered, leaving the little redhead beaming, "Okay, how about this letter?"

"C!"

"And this one?"

"D! But Mommy, that's now how they go! When you sing the song, C comes first!"

"You're right again, Lily! And what letter comes before O?"

She thought for a moment, clearly going through the entire alphabet in her head. "N!"

"Goodness, Lily, you must be the smartest three-year-old I know!"

This had her laughing and flushing while she sat up instead of being cradled by Will's hold.

After significantly turning Lily's self-esteem around, Emma put the letters in order. "Now, when we read books, what is it that Daddy and I read to you?"

"Words!"

"Right again," Emma held up the O once more. "And these are called..."

"Letters!"

"Very good. And we know that words are made up of letters, right?" Lily nodded enthusiastically and Emma continued, "Well, these letters are going to stand for some very big words that I'm going to say, okay? You don't need to remember them. The O means _obsessive_, the C means _compulsive_, and the D means _disorder_. But because those words are so big, we are just going to call them all one thing, which is OCD. Can you say it, Lily?"

She nodded, "O-C-D!"

"Well, OCD means that...there is something in your head that..." She considered the easiest way to explain the disorder, "There is something in your head is sort of broken."

"My head is broken?"

"No, no," Emma cupped her cheek, "Your head isn't broken. There's just...a part of your head that doesn't work quite right, Lily. You have this OCD that I'm talking about."

Playing with Will's fingers, she asked, "Am I in trouble?"

"No, Lily, you're not in trouble..." Emma kissed the crown of her head, sighing heavily. "Lily, OCD just makes you do certain things."

"Like what?"

"You know how you don't like it when we change our schedule?" She nodded in agreement, "Or how you like everything in its right place, and everything nice and neat...and you worry, a lot, when they aren't? Or you worry that Daddy and I don't love you? Sweetie, when you think like that, it's not really Lily thinking. It's Lily's OCD thinking. Do you sort of understand?"

"O-C-D makes me cry?"

Emma cringed, "Kind of. OCD makes you cry when you get very upset...like when you spill something or color outside the lines...those kind of things that make you cry are from your OCD. When you fall down and get hurt and cry, that isn't OCD."

"Mommy, I don't want the O-C-D."

Will rubbed her shoulder while Emma gave a sympathetic nod of understanding. "I know you don't want it, sweetie. Do you know how I know that?"

"How?"

"Because, I have OCD, too," Emma sighed, taking Lily's hand. "I have had it since I was eight years old, and I know how hard it is. I know how much certain things make you want to cry, and how hard it is to be okay with things changing, and not being just right. But you know what, Lily?"

"What?" She whispered, fiddling with the gold band of her mother's wedding ring.

"We're going to work on fixing your head. There isn't anything we can do to get rid of your OCD forever, but we're going to make your life a little bit better. Do you think you'd like to try and get better?"

She nodded, biting her bottom lip as her mother so often did.

Emma kissed the top of Lily's head and tilted her chin up to stare into the dark brown eyes of her daughter, seeing uncertainty and confusion.

"Lily, you're going to be okay, I promise. Daddy and I are going to make sure we do everything we can for you."

"I'm sorry," She whispered, leaning into Emma's hand, "I'm sorry I have O-C-D."

"Oh, Lily, no, no, no." Will turned her a little bit, "Baby, this is not your fault. You have nothing to be sorry for, understand?"

Her eyes shone with unshed tears while she asked, "Do you still love me, even though I have O-C-D?"

"Lily, of course we still love you!" Emma let a few tears of her own out at the question. "Lily...We're going to help you, okay? We're going to get through this..."

Will mopped at his own eyes to keep from crying before he pulled Emma to him, enveloping both the redheaded beauties in a monstrous hug.

"We're going to get through this," He repeated, "Lily, we're never going to stop loving you, whether you have OCD or not. We're always going to be a family, and families never stop loving each other, even when things are hard and confusing. We're going to make it through."

* * *

"Papa!" Lily squealed three days later as the weekend began and Will's father stepped through the door of the younger Schuester's residence.

"Hi, Lily Ann!" He laughed, squeezing her little frame in a hug while he closed the door and toed his shoes off. "How are you, little lady?"

"I'm okay." She hugged him back, sighing dramatically. "Me and Mommy have to go to O-C-D class in three days."

"Do you, now? You know what, though? You're going to learn so much. It's going to help you, Lily. And your Mommy will make sure it's not too scary. Don't worry about a thing."

She kissed his cheek an leaned against his shoulder. "Papa, Daddy's not mad at you any more."

"That's good to hear, Lily."

"He was really mad before, Papa, he was so mad. But now he said he loves you and I bet he wants a hug from you."

He was quiet while they traveled to the kitchen, where Emma was preparing their meal.

"Mommy! Papa's here!"

"I see that," Emma laughed, placing a spoon down and drying her hands on a towel before crossing the floor to press a kiss on her father-in-law's cheek, "How are you doing?" She asked sweetly.

"Better," He said with a heavy breath, rubbing Lily's back and pondering a way to explain the feelings of loss but acceptance that he was experiencing. "I think that nights are still the hardest part of my day...but I'm doing much better, overall."

"Papa, you're sad? Is it 'cause Grammie lives at the doctor's office, now?"

Emma cringed at the bluntness of her three-year-old's question and took the little girl, placing her on her feet. "Lily, how about you go find Daddy and tell him that Papa's here, okay?"

"Did I do something bad?" She asked, panicky.

Emma put a reassuring hand on the top of her head, "No, Lily. You're just fine. I just want Daddy to know that his daddy is here! Okay?"

Lily hugged her mother's leg tightly before scampering to the basement to retrieve Will.

"He's been in a bit of a mood all day. I went through the 'my-daughter-has-a-mental-disorder' meltdown on Wednesday. I think this might be his, and he doesn't want to make me upset again, so he's keeping it all inside. I tried to convince him to let it out, but hopefully he'll talk to you, or somebody, because I don't want him all bent up and out of shape—"

The older version of Will silenced his daughter-in-law by pulling her into an embrace. "I'll do my best to talk to him about it. I hope he's not going to be...fourteen-year-old Will and acting like he's fine when he clearly isn't."

"That sounds about right—Hey, honey." She turned to see her husband being dragged into the room by their mighty daughter.

"Hey, Em," Will kissed her softly before giving his attention to his father. "Hi, Dad."

The two men shared a look before Will bit his lip and squeezed tears from his lashes before being engulfed in a firm embrace from the man he'd been avoiding for the better part of two months.

He cried silently, keeping his face turned away from his wife and daughter, who moved to the living room to give the men a moment of privacy.

"Son," The elder Schuester shook his head and sighed, trying to keep his own emotions in check, "You've been through so much in the past summer...I'm proud of you for sticking it all out and being as strong as you have been. You've been so supportive of your family...but you need to take time for yourself, too. Let yourself feel. Let it out, William."

Meanwhile, Lily sat confused on Emma's lap. "Mommy, what's wrong with Daddy?"

Emma noticed that her daughter was staring and moved them to her room, placing her on the toddler bed.

"Sweetie, Daddy's just having a tough day. He's a little bit sad because his own mommy is in the hospital. He's also a little bit worried about you. He just wants to know that everything is going to be okay, and his daddy is trying to help him with that."

"And Daddy's not mad at Papa anymore!"

"That's right, Lily..." Emma turned to a bookshelf next to the window. "How about a story?"

"Can we do _Corduroy_, Mommy?"

Emma laughed, pulling Lily's favorite story down and sat down in the light pink rocking chair, where Lily quickly scrambled into her lap.

"Mommy, I wish I had a bear like that," Lily smiled when it was finished, turning in Emma's lap to hug her tightly, "He has fancy pants."

Feeling her lips tugging upward again, Emma set the red book on the bench beneath the window, holding her baby close.

"I think we could find some fancy pants to go on one of your bears, what do you think?"

"Fancy pants?" Will asked from the doorway, arms crossed but his expression much happier.

"Daddy! You're not sad anymore!"

He opened his arms and Lily jumped from Emma's lap and sprinted into them, snuggling her and taking a deep breath before nodding to his wife, stretching a hand out which she gladly took. "Ready for dinner?"

"Are you?" She asked cautiously, "Will, you don't have to rush time with your dad for Lily and I. We're fine."

"No, no, I want to have family time." He kissed the top of her head and led them to the kitchen, where his father was finishing up grilling burgers.

They ate at the table in their yellow-hued dinning area, with Will's father cracking jokes, Lily babbling stories about things that made absolutely no sense to anyone but her three-year-old self, Emma assuring her that she could, in fact, eat the pieces of corn that had touched the bun holding her hamburger together, and Will smiling wide, thankful to have his family together.

"Hey, Papa? After dinner, do you think we should walk to the ice cream store?"

All three adults laughed, Will shaking his head, "Very clever, Lily."

"I think we probably should walk to the ice cream store, what about you?" His father asked, scooting Lily's chair closer to him so he could pull her into his lap.

Emma sighed while standing, "Oh, if she's manipulated you that much, I suppose guys you could go. I'll stay here and get things cleaned up. Will, there's some singles in my purse if you don't have any."

Lily clapped excitedly, reaching to give her grandfather a kiss on his cheek before scampering to the walkway to dig her shoes out of the hallway closet.

"She's so spoiled," Will groaned, pecking Emma's cheek, "We've got to get that under control before she's in for a rude awakening."

Emma smiled to herself while stacking plates to rinse them before placing them in the dishwasher — she'd learned to trust the device to properly clean dishes after the quantity of what they used on a daily basis multiplied with the addition of toddler-feeding gear.

"She'll always be your little princess, Will. That's never going to change."

He rubbed her hip gently, "You'll always be my queen," He rumbled, sending a shiver up her spine.

His father cleared his throat from behind them, snapping them apart. "You know, I could take Lily for the night of the two of you want to be alone."

Emma bit her lip, contemplating the offer. "So long as she wants to go, I wouldn't mind having the night to ourselves," She whispered, tugging Will's wrist.

"Hey, Lil!" He called, already creating a mental checklist of things she'd need for the night away from home, "Come here, baby."

She ran into the kitchen, her flip-flops pounding on the tile. "Daddy, am I in trouble?"

"No, sweet-pea, we were just wondering if you'd like to spend the night at Papa's house tonight?"

She gasped, "A sleepover?"

Emma giggled and lifted her up, keeping her steady on the counter top while she reassured her that she'd be okay. "Yes, a sleepover. Won't it be fun? You and Papa can get ice cream, then maybe convince him to watch_ The Little Mermaid_ with you."

"You'll come get me?"

"In the morning, okay?" Emma brushed Lily's unruly hair out of her face and kissed her forehead. "I promise you, it'll be okay. Papa won't let anything bad happen to you, and he'll tuck you in just like Daddy and I do. You spent the night over there once before, remember? You had so much fun and brought me home a beautiful drawing."

"Okay, but only if you give me a big hug and kiss before I go!" Lily agreed, reaching up for the embrace.

After packing a small duffel and giving her father-in-law a brief set of instructions, Emma packed her daughter into an old station wagon, promising her she'd have lots of fun and that she was loved.

When the car was out of sight, Emma walked back into the house, pleased to see the table was completely cleared and the kitchen was picked up. Searching for her husband, she followed her instinct and entered their bedroom, finding a smirk covering her face when she found him shirtless against the pillows.

"I really love your father," She said quietly, "So are we working on our little boy tonight?"

Will laughed and pulled her on top of him, leaning his head up for a long kiss, rubbing her sides underneath the lilac-hued tank top she wore.

"Thank you for making me fix things with my dad," He whispered when she paused their kisses to rest herself on top of him, moaning in contentment and reaching a hand to run through his curls.

"You're welcome. Thank you for making me fix things with my own dad...although, I still feel like I don't want to tell him about the diagnosis just yet. I think I'll wait until after we start therapy sessions."

"You don't have to, sweetheart. Whenever you're ready...Speaking of being ready," He growled, flipping them over so he was in control, "Let's get that bun in the oven."

* * *

Super late update is super late.

Thank you for sticking by the story though! I appreciate all the feedback and PM's asking me for more. Thank you for motivating me to write!


	8. Chapter Eight

Will had seen Emma's progress in combating her OCD grow tenfold since the birth of their daughter. Whether it was confronting a sticky spill, a soaked crib, or an innocent face coated with pureed peas; she'd learned how to calmly handle a messy situation, or to less-obsessively prevent one from occurring.

As such, when it came to managing their daughter's mental health, Will had requested she be the primary decision maker for treatment of their little girl.

"Daddy, how come you're not coming?" Lily pouted, tugging on his shorts while he sorted through old lesson plans on the kitchen table. Her initial therapy appointment was set for a scorching first day in August, and Emma had told Will the night before that she felt comfortable taking Lily on her own.

"Mommy's taking you, Lily. I've got to do stuff for work. You'll be just fine with Mommy, though, okay?"

She whined and sat herself on the floor grumpily, crossing her arms and lowering her eyebrows.

"Lily," Will sighed in sing-song, scooting his chair back and scooping her into his lap. "Sweet-pea, why have you been such a grumpy girl? All morning you've been crabby. What's wrong?"

She twisted on his legs so she was facing his papers, staring down at them. "You're going back to work. Mommy, too."

Will nodded, understanding her reasons for being upset. With a gentle hand, he brushed a few loose curls from her face and kissed the back of her head while squeezing her tightly. "You're going to miss being with us all day, huh?"

When her head bounced a yes, he prepared for water works, turning her around and wiping a thumb underneath her eyelids where tears were pooling up. "Baby, you've been doing okay at Miss Carolyn's. And that time you're at daycare is the same time you'll be in preschool. Then Mommy will be home with you in the afternoon's. It's going to be sort of like last year, and guess what? You'll still get to go see Papa."

"I am?" A little smile graced the redhead's face.

Will explained, "The only day that Mommy is going to stay at work all day is Monday. That's the first day of the school week. You have preschool in the morning and then Papa's going to pick you up and you'll have lunch at his house and play there all afternoon. How does that sound?"

"But I want to stay home with you and Mommy, still!" She huffed, leaning her head forward on her father's chest.

"I know, but we've got to get back to our regular schedule, baby. You might not like it, but that's just life. It might take some time to get used to, but we'll get it all figured out in no time." He kissed her again and stood, positioning her on his hip. "Let's get your hair fixed before you have to go, okay?"

He set her down on the bathroom counter, locating the only comb that could tame her messy curls without her howling in pain. Gently working the plastic through her mane, Will sang softly under his breath while Lily fiddled with the buttons of his Polo.

"Do you want a headband, ponytail or hair clip?" He asked, taking her hand to grab her attention.

"Um...Surprise!" She giggled, covering her eyes with her arm while Will dug through a small basket in the upper drawer until he came across a pink barrette to pin the front half of her hair back with.

"There you go, precious," He chuckled into a kiss on her cheek while she turned on the counter to look in the mirror.

"Do I look beautiful, Daddy?"

"Always, baby girl. Did you brush your teeth after breakfast?"

Lily nodded enthusiastically. "Of course, Daddy! I always do! Wanna check?" She smiled widely and Will nodded his approval, cradling her against him for a moment before carrying her down the hall to locate his wife.

"Mommy!" Lily called as Emma came into view from her place on the computer in the spare bedroom, also preparing for the upcoming school year. "Daddy did my hair."

The older redhead beamed, "He did a very nice job. Thank you," She said with a yawn as she eyed the clock, "Oh, gosh, Lil, we need to get going."

The three-year-old paled suddenly, turning into Will's chest. "My tummy hurts," She moaned, clutching the fabric of his shirt.

"No, no, no," Emma sighed and crossed the blue carpet, turning her daughter's chin up. "Lily, you're fine. This is going to be easy. There are no tests or anything. We're going to get better, alright? And I'm going to be right there with you. _And_, what are we doing when we're done?" When the little girl's big brown eyes didn't light up as expected, Emma tried tickling her while cooing, "Shopping for your school stuff! Remember? We're going to have fun, baby girl." Still resisting any sort of excitement, Emma lifted Lily from Will's arms, rubbing her back as a few tears leaked down her cheeks.

Will smiled sadly at his wife, kissing her forehead in sympathy, telling her with his eyes he'd be willing to go if she wanted him to.

Shaking her head, a sign that they'd be alright on their own, Emma directed them to the hallway where Will slipped sandals on his daughter's feet and handed Emma her purse while she stepped into her own shoes.

"Hey, Lily," He whispered, capturing her attention. "I love you, sweet-pea. You're going to be fine, I promise."

* * *

Therapy three times a week was intensive and grueling.

Emma was emotionally spent after each episode of watching her daughter throw herself into a fit of hysteria over a misplaced puzzle piece or crayon outside the coloring book lines — or any sort of behavioral-change activity the therapist had her working on.

Not that she didn't think the therapist was qualified to be taking care of Lily, but Emma felt that the techniques may have been a bit advanced for her three-year-old.

After six sessions, she spoke with Will about pulling Lily out of their current clinic.

Carrying the exhausted preschooler into her bedroom after her last outburst in the professional office, unbuckling her shoes and placing her in her converted crib, Emma took a deep breath and found her husband in the basement with their neighbor's eldest son, teaching him basic cords on the guitar.

"Hi, Miss Emma!" The blonde haired boy greeted enthusiastically as his little brother shot up from a corner of the room, where he had been building with an old set of Will's childhood Lincoln Logs.

"Hi Nick, hey Scottie...what are you boys doing over?"

Will cleared his throat as Scott flew to Emma's legs, tugging her skirt in attempt to gain her attention. "Sarah had a doctor appointment which she forgot about and asked if we could take them for a few hours. I figured it'd be alright...did Lily do any better?"

"Where's Lily?" The hyperactive preschooler butted in, tugging over and over until Emma lifted him onto her hip, explaining his best friend wasn't much in the mood for playing.

"Lily had a really rough morning, kiddo. She's taking a nap right now...but I bet when she wakes up, she would love to play with you."

He scrambled down and back to entertaining himself as Will ruffled Nick's hair and led Emma up the stairs to the living room, where she bit her lip and cast her eyes to the side.

"I feel like we're about to have an argument," She breathed, running a hand over her face.

Will raised a brow. "It doesn't have to be an argument. We could sit here and discuss it like the mature adults we are. I feel like I already know what you're going to say, though."

Emma sat on the edge of the sofa, eyes lost on the floor as she sighed, shaking her head. "I think we need to find a different therapist. Will, she's not going to get better if she walks away completely hysterical each time."

He paused, letting the information settle before attempting a retaliation that would lead to a shouting match. "Emma. We decided this was what was best for Lily. You know it'll take time before any real progress is made. She's very young, younger than most kids are when they start this kind of therapy. There's going to be a lot of snags along the way. There are going to be tears—"

"Tears and snags I expect, Will. I was prepared for that...but...the way Lily...shuts down and then melts down...it's not just her being stubborn or upset. It's true hysteria...I feel like she's being traumatized. I'm not saying she has a bad therapist...I just think the techniques are perhaps too advanced for a three-year-old, and that she's trying to work on too many things at once. That's all I'm saying...I think she'd make better progress with a therapist who specializes in children's psychiatric care, not someone who specializes in OCD management. Maybe _I_ could go to this lady, but—"

"Emma, as nice of a thought as that is, we're not out to cure you right now—"

Will regretted his words the moment he spoke them, shaking his head as his wife looked up from the carpet with an expression of disbelief.

He was about to apologize when she stood, fists clamped and shaking at her sides. "So I had my chance to be cured, huh? I lost out?" She choked a little, shaking her head. "I'm a lost cause? And you don't want Lily to end up like me? Is that what you're saying, Will? Is that—"

She was cut off when Will's arms encircled her and his head rested atop his.

"I never gave up on you, Em. I will never give up on you. I don't think you're broken. I don't think you need to be cured. I don't think it's too late to improve your OCD. I just meant that...this particular discussion should be about Lily's needs."

She shivered under his hold, letting his cotton t-shirt absorb moisture from her eyes. "Okay. I'm sorry. I overreacted."

He stroked the back of her neck and kissed the top of her head. "It's alright, sweetheart. It's alright. I'm sorry, too...look, let's...let's keep taking Lily to the OCD lady until we find a better alternative, okay? We can start looking tonight...and who knows? She starts school in a week. Maybe we can get some answers there, too."

* * *

"Mommy!" Lily screeched as they pulled into the parking lot of the clinic the following Monday. "Mommy, no, I don't want to go! I don't want to go! Mommy!"

Fat tears rolled down her cheeks, sunburned from spending the previous day outdoors, running carefree through the sprinkler with Scott.

Emma turned the key back and twisted in her seat, putting on a smile but keeping her tone serious. "Lily Ann, I know how upset you are. But going to see Dr. Laura is not a choice. We have to go. You know that."

"But I do so bad!" She shrieked into her elbow, muffling her cries against her skin.

"Lily, we're not going to argue about it. We'll go in, you'll do your best. That's all Dr. Laura and I want from you is the very best you can do. You don't have to be perfect, remember? That's what this is all about. Just doing your best. Can you do your best?"

Her ginger curls bounced as Lily nodded her head, sniffling while Emma unbuckled her.

"And, remember, if you do your best and don't have a meltdown inside of Dr. Laura's office, you get a sticker for your chart!"

As a way of attempting to make going to the therapist more rewarding for the three-year-old, Emma brought up her old idea of using a sticker board. Each time Lily went to the office without crying to the point of making herself sick, she could add a gold star to the sheet which hung on the fridge...with no stars to the day.

"I want a star," Lily mumbled, tugging at her mother's shirt collar.

"Well, do your best and no meltdowns. Then you'll get a star...and what happens when you get all those stars, Lily?"

"I get new Little People," She whispered, clenching her jaw and squeezing her eyes as Emma signed them in.

"What new Little People do you want, sweetie?"

"The new zoo animals."

Emma quickly sanitized the metal handles of a waiting room chair before sitting in it, pulling Lily into her lap. "And can you tell me what is your favorite zoo animal?

"Pandas! 'Cause they're—"

"Lily Schuester?" Dr. Laura, a tall, lean brunette smiled from the doorway, "Hi munchkin, come on in!"

The bitty redhead closed her eyes and let her lips quiver as she turned into Emma's chest. "Mommy, my tummy hurts!"

"I know, baby. That's just the butterflies, remember? They'll go away soon enough."

Dr. Laura addressed Emma as they walked to her office. "How was she this weekend?"

"After Friday's meltdown, she wasn't eating...I didn't convince her to try anything until late on Saturday. And we had a few minor meltdowns about stilly things like incorrect placing of toys in bins or socks on her feet," The mother commented, swallowing back feelings of failure at her daughter's lack of progress.

"These things do take time," She said with a motion for the red-headed duo to take a seat once they entered the inviting, neat room. "So, Miss Lily, can I see your eyes up here?"

Lily shrugged and hid her face in Emma's neck.

"Remember, you want that star sticker, right?" Emma said quietly, earning the attention of the therapist.

"Star sticker? Are you creating a reward system?"

"Yes. If she can make it without a meltdown, she's going to work towards a prize."

"I see," Dr. Laura pondered the chart and sighed, "I'd actually be a little worried, given Lily's history of obsessing over the small things. I wouldn't want her working merely for a prize. We want her working to get better, and to stay that way."

Emma shrugged. "I'm just not sure she fully grasps the concept of being mentally sick and mentally stable. A sticker board just seemed to be the best way to represent how crucial progress is for her."

Dr. Laura cleared her throat, turning a page in her notebook and letting her eyes fall back on Lily. "Alright, munchkin. Let's start today with coloring a picture. Can you color a picture for me?" Lily's chocolate eyes met the therapist's for a moment before she turned back to Emma, shaking her head.

The hour continued, Lily cried and fought all of Dr. Laura's attempts at activities. When she refused to put a block out of place, Emma sighed and shook her head while the doctor felt her frustration. "I think we'll call it a day. I'll see you on Wednesday, Lily."

"No!" She hollered, clutching Emma's shoulders. "No more!"

Emma scooped her purse and daughter up, leaving without so much as a 'good-bye.' She buckled Lily into the car and pulled out her cellphone.

"Will, we're not coming back here."

He didn't say anything as she reversed, peeling out of the driveway in anger. "That woman is so impatient with her. She doesn't understand Lily's fear, she's constantly pressuring her into activities she clearly isn't ready for and I've had it. Lily has had it. We have to find somewhere else, Will. I won't go back and watch my daughter suffer like that. She's not going to get better there."

"Em, calm down, sweetheart," Will's voice came through the speaker with a heavy breath as she tried mopping tears that fell from her eyes, sniffling into the phone.

"I can't! You take her next time, then! If you really think this is the place to be! I-I can't watch her go through this anymore! She's cried herself to sleep again, and now I'm hysterical, an—"

"Emma! Honey, settle down. Pull over and compose yourself, okay? Please? Pull to the side of the road for a few minutes."

She took several shaking breaths before doing as her husband requested, putting the car in park and leaning back against the headrest. "Will, I'm not taking her back there. I'm not."

"Okay," His voice was soft, not angry or threatening. "That's fine. That's fine. I trust your judgement as a mother. So long as you're thinking this way because it's not the right decision for _Lily_, I'll agree that she shouldn't be seeing this therapist."

There was a long pause as Emma's air intake returned to normal and she let a few more tears leak from her eyes before she whispered, "I think I'm good to drive. I'll be home in twenty minutes or so, alright?"

"Do you want to put me on speaker for the rest of the trip?" He suggested.

"Yeah, yeah...that'd um, that'd be good." She pressed the button on her phone and rested it in the cup holder of the Pacifica, putting on her left blinker as she prepared to merge.

Checking her mirror, Emma thought the road was clear.

She thought wrong.

* * *

"Daddy!" Lily sobbed upon seeing her father bolting into the emergency room. "Daddy!"

He reached towards her with open arms, only to be stopped by a nurse who directed Lily to sit back in her bed. "Mr. Schuester, please, we've been trying to dress her wounds for almost fifteen minutes. We need to clean them before they're infected. But we can't get near her without hysteria, and we didn't have parental permission to sedate her—"

"It's okay, it's okay," Will's hands trembled as he sat at the edge of the bed, very gently pulling his daughter into his lap and rapping both arms around her middle as he whispered in her ear, "It's okay, baby girl. Daddy's here now...Daddy's here. You've got to let the doctors clean out your cuts, baby. Otherwise you'll get sick."

"No! Daddy, no! I want Mommy! Where is Mommy? Daddy!" She cried, salty tears mixing with the open gash on her cheek, and another near the right corner of her eye. Bruises were appearing on her skinny arms and legs, but she appeared to be in no immediate physical danger.

"Sweetheart, Mommy's having surgery. The doctors are taking very good care of her," He said quietly, attempting to assure himself alongside his daughter that his wife would make it through.

The teenage driver had come out of her blind side, whizzing against her at eighty miles an hour, causing her car to spin and collide with on coming traffic, and she was then impaled by a truck much larger than their SUV. Emma had taken most of the damage, but the responding medical team had said she was stable before entering surgery. Will prayed she remained that way.

"Daddy!" Lily screeched as a nurse applied antiseptic to her face, "Daddy, it burns!"

"I know, I know. Lily, sh...you're okay. It's to make you better."

"Daddy, make it stop!"

As he held her tight, pressing his forehead against the back of her matted curls, Will closed his eyes, envisioning Emma experiencing the same emotions of helplessness as she took their daughter to therapy three times each week.

"Almost done, kiddo," The nurse said quietly, applying gauze to a spot on her arm. "Although I don't mean to make matters worse, but I think this one is going to heal much better with stitches."

Will cringed, shaking his head. "Is it too late to sign for sedation?"

An hour and a half later, he sat in a regular room, Lily sound asleep on a mattress, hooked up to several instruments to measure her heart rate and other critical numbers. Will moved between her side, stroking her hair, to pacing in front of her bed, to pacing in the hallway in hope for a shred of news on his wife.

He heard groaning from Lily's room and poked his head in to find her stirring, blinking against the harsh light reflecting on the sterile white surfaces.

"Hey, baby girl," He said quietly, sitting next to her and rubbing her arm that wasn't wrapped in a bandage. "You're okay, sweetie, you're in the hospital. But you're alright."

"I'm thirsty," She mumbled, closing her eyes and turning her cheek towards Will's palm.

He quickly called out to the nurses station, and within minutes Lily was served a small cup of apple juice with a straw.

"Here you go, baby girl...drink it slow, okay?"

Lily drank at the requested speed until pulling away and leaning against the pillows, looking disoriented. "Daddy? Where is Mommy? What happened?"

He stroked her little belly, taking her hand. "You and Mommy were driving home from therapy. You were sleeping and Mommy's car got hit by another car. You both got hurt, but the doctor already fixed you. They are working on fixing her right now."

Her eyes grew wide and her breathing picked up, but Will calmed her anxiety before it could escalate. "She's going to be okay, baby. Mommy's going to be okay. It wasn't your fault, don't worry about it."

"Where is she?"

Will was prepared to explain the process of surgery when a nurse poked her head in the room, smiling at him. "Your wife is out of surgery and in recovery. We can take you to see her now."

Lily met Will's eyes and he nodded, asking, "Can she come with me?"

"Let me give her a quick work up first...then I'll have you carry her, she'll probably still be a little woozy from the anesthesia."

After a listen to her heartbeat and taking of her temperature, the nurse transferred Will and Lily to another woman, who led them through the maze of corridors until they arrived down the proper hallway.

"Is Mommy in there?" Lily asked, uneasy as the nurse opened glass doors leading to Emma's room.

"Yes, she is, sweetheart. She's just coming out of the same medicine you had, so she's going to be a little bit tired and confused. Do not jump on her or talk too loud, okay? And Mr. Schuester, before you go in, I'm going to have Dr. Kooran explain the procedure that was underwent."

An Indian man went in-depth about Emma's injuries, including two cracked ribs, one of which had lightly punctured her stomach, creating the need for internal surgery. He also commented that she'd likely have whiplash and her neck would need icing and the possibility of a chiropractor or physical therapist if her pain persisted.

"How long will she need to be hospitalized for?" Will asked, rubbing Lily's back.

"Less than a week. Her injuries were not nearly as bad as they could have been, her rib did not completely puncture the stomach, which was our main concern. We'll just want to make sure she's healing alright, and she needs lots of rest. With a little one around, especially, it's crucial that she is able to get the proper amount of strength back. She'll have to be off work for at least six weeks, as well. This isn't severe, but the healing does take time."

Will swallowed, blinking hard. "Um...we've been...trying for another b-a-b-y," He spelled out, eyeing the three-year-old, hoping the doctor would take the hint that she didn't know she may have a future sibling. "Is that going to be in any way affected by this? Should we stop trying?"

Dr. Kooran shook his head. "No reproductive organs were damaged. You'll be fine to...repopulate...however, I'd give it quite a few weeks before you work on it." He smirked and nodded to the room. "Your wife is waking up. Go thank your deity that she's alright and kiss her senseless."

Will let a small laugh out as the doctor ushered the father and daughter into the recovery room, where Emma was having her vital signs read by a nurse as she blinked against the lighting. "Will?" She croaked.

He cried into a smile, sitting at the edge of her bed, placing Lily next to her and kissing her lips like he thought he'd never see her again, "Emma," He shook, "Emma, I love you. I love you so much."

She sighed, melting into him, "I love you, too...Lily, baby...is she alright?"

Will nodded and kissed his wife's forehead. "She's alright, sweetheart. Just a few cuts and bruises. She needed stitches in her upper right arm, though...we had her put under for that due to the hysteria of just cleaning the other scrapes. But she's fine...how do you feel?"

"My stomach hurts like crazy...but I'm alright, really. I'm alive. And I'll have full range of motion and use of all my limbs, I'm not going to be permanently cognitively impaired..." She took a deep breath and let Will kiss her again before saying, "I'm alive. It could have been terrible. But it wasn't. And our daughter is okay...Lily!" She opened an arm, encouraging the three year old to crawl into a light hug. "Baby, how are you?"

Lily only responded with terrified tears, shaking against her mother's chest.

Will breathed out and rubbed her back in attempt to soothe her. "Honey...it's all over. You and Mommy are both fine, don't you see? It's all okay, baby girl."

She continued to sob until her hysteria turned into heaving, and she made herself sick over the side of Emma's bed, thusly making herself more upset.

"Oh, honey, it's okay! It's okay, Lily...baby girl..."

Will and Emma exchanged a look as a nurse came in to assist cleaning up Lily's last meal, encouraging the couple to speak to a doctor about their child's behavior.

Hours later, Emma sipped water from a straw, swirling the liquid in the cup nervously as she waited for news of her daughter's latest psychiatric exam. She felt tears forming as she pondered the results, feeling as though she knew all signs would point to a post-traumatic stress syndrome; as if Lily wasn't anxiety-ridden already.

Will had spoken to one of the doctors on the pediatric floor, explaining their three-year-old's previous diagnosis and current symptoms. Even though it had only been a few hours after the event had occurred, the doctor agreed the earlier intervention could start, the better Lily's end results would be.

With a heavy sigh, Emma put her cup down and pulled a hand through her hair, biting her lip while bringing another hand to her stomach.

Thus far in her parenthood, she'd already lead her daughter to two mental handicaps that would follow her throughout the course of her life; that Lily would battle every day, fighting the demons that Emma had instilled in her.

Trying her hardest not to cry, she turned on her side, only to hiss in pain at the stitches holding her skin together. With a defeated blink, Emma closed her eyes.

She was failing the daughter she had. There was no way she would impose the lifestyle she had given to Lily on another child. Nodding to herself, Emma swallowed hard and let this final thought run through her mind before sleep overtook her.

* * *

"...You're both going to need time at home. Resting and recovering. Sending Lily to preschool is going to be a huge challenge, I can tell you that right now. Already having OCD and now tossing this on top of it...her separation anxiety is going to be a big stumbling block. She will make herself sick, I can guarantee it. Every day is going to be a difficult battle. Since you'll be off work, Emma, I would talk to her teachers. See if you can stay in the back of the room, I can write a note explaining the situation. I think that once she sees the other kids having fun and participating, she'll want to join in, but she'll need you, her safe base, to look back on and assure her that it'll be okay. I do feel that after six weeks, once you'll be headed back to work, she'll be comfortable enough to stay on her own. Until then, though...take it easy...Will, I have a list of their medications..."

Emma tuned out the remainder of the discharge instructions two days later. Lily had been kept in a hospital bed right alongside her to be monitored for physical signs of distress. Severe nightmares and several panic attacks had ensued over the duration of their stay, and she was going to be treated with a very mild dose of the SSRI's that the original psychologist had suggested, at least until her PTSD symptoms were under control. Emma didn't like it, but after witnessing hysteria from her daughter like she'd never seen, she knew it was the right decision.

Will helped her pull on a pair of yoga pants and t-shirt over her sore abdomen, giving her an assisting lift to the wheelchair at the edge of her bed. Lily was dressed as well, then settled gently into her mother's lap, who wrapped thin arms around her in a movement of protection. Kissing the little girl's temple, Emma whispered, "Don't be afraid, Lily."

She whimpered and turned her head into Emma's neck as a nurse wheeled them down the hall with Will walking at their sides, an armload of paperwork and a bag of clothes in hand.

Will had already pulled up a new Chevy Equinox, a vehicle they wouldn't have been able to afford if his father hadn't been so generous in helping the family in their time of crisis. The Pacifica had been beyond repair and was sold for scrap and parts to help make the first payment.

"It's very nice, Will...good pick," Emma mused as Will picked Lily out of her lap and was prepared to open the passenger door to place her in a new car seat when the three-year-old began screaming at a decibel they'd never heard before, a trail of tears cascading down her front as she clutched Will's shoulders as tightly as her little hands could.

"Lily!" He bounced her lightly, rocking them back and fourth while rubbing her spine. "Baby, baby...it's okay. It's okay...we're going to drive very carefully—"

"No! No, Daddy!" She wailed, shaking visibly. "No, Daddy, no!"

"Sweetie," He felt tears coming to his own face and knew they were pouring down his wife's, "Sweetheart, we've got to get home somehow. This is the only way. It's a very, very short drive. Not even five minutes. I'll drive super slow and so safely, I promise you, Lily. Mommy's going to sit in the back and hold your hand, too. It's going to be okay, I promise. Lily," He drew out her name, sadly, "Lily Ann, please, baby girl...just settle down. There's nothing else we can do to get home."

She wept as Will set her forcibly into the car seat and buckled her in, pulling constantly at the restraints that held her little torso in place.

He turned to Emma, who was watching helplessly as Lily beat her legs in the air, screaming with all of her might. "Honey...I'm...I don't know what I can say that is going to make this any better. Could you please sit in the back with her...hold her hand...whisper to her...anything to calm her down?"

Emma quickly dried her tears with the base of her hand and nodded, letting Will help her into the car, where she slid as close to her daughter as possible, placing one hand on her hair and the other over her heart, rubbing small circles.

"Lily," She whispered, "Lily, it's Mommy talking to you. Lily, can you hear me, sweet-pea?"

A hysterical, barely audible, "Yes," was detected amidst the panting and tears.

"Good, good. I'm glad you can hear me...You know what? When we get home, you and I can lay down in bed all day. You know that? We can watch whatever movie you want, and we can make Daddy treat us like princesses. He can bring us breakfast in bed and we can make him paint our toenails...what do you say? Do you want Daddy to be our servant for today?" Emma asked, stroking her curls as her hysterics slowed slightly, and she was able to meet her mother's gaze.

"C-C-Can...can we...can we..."

"Take your time, sweetie," Emma encouraged, "Can we what?"

"C-Can we watch Belle?"

"Of course we can! And we can sing _Be Our Guest_ with Lumier and Cogsworth, too...Maybe Daddy could even print you off some _Beauty and the Beast _coloring pages off the computer, hm? We could put them up on the refrigerator when you color them..."

Through moist eyes, Lily sucked up a sniffle, and even though her lip quivered slightly, she managed a tiny smile. "Yeah, Mommy. Yeah."

Will took a quick moment to peek in his rear-view mirror to see Lily wrapping her hand around Emma's fingers and having her face kissed free of tears.

"There you go, baby girl...I love you. Thank you for calming down. You're a sweetheart. I'm excited to spend the day with you."

She closed her eyes tightly, blinking a few more tears out. "Mommy, I'm scared to be in the car."

"I know, Lily...I know, and I'm so sorry," Emma sighed heavily and met Will's eyes in the mirror. "I'm sorry you feel that way. But Daddy and I are going to do our best to make you feel safe again, that's for sure.

They pulled up to the house and Will parked the new car before letting out a thankful breath he hadn't even been aware he was holding. "Okay, little one," He mumbled, unbuckling Lily's seat and watching her jump out of the car before he could blink, then helped Emma out, "Let's take it easy, Lily. You just got out of the hospital."

Will assisted his wife up the single stair into their home and led her straight to their bed, where Lily climbed and snuggled into her mother's side.

Several hours later, with stomach's full of pancakes, toes painted pink, and a viewing of Lily's favorite princess movie, the Schuester's were cuddled together for an afternoon nap.

The three-year-old fell asleep first, giving Will the opportunity to kiss his wife a few times and ask her how she felt without a need to act strong in front of their child.

"Will," Emma whispered, clutching the front of his shirt while he stroked her back, "Will, I...I feel awful."

"Honey, you could probably take another round of pain medication—"

"Thats...um...that's not it. I...Will, I'm...I'm a terrible mother."

He rolled his eyes and kissed the top of her head. "No you're not, Emma. You're not—"

"Yes I am," She cried, turning away form him. "She now has _two_ mental illnesses. And they are both my fault...Will...I'm ruining her life. And you can't say I'm not! They're both my fault! She got OCD from my genes and now she has PTSD because of my reckless driving! I'm _hurting_ her! And...and I'm sorry, but...I don't want to have another baby anymore. I couldn't put another child through what I've already done to Lily. It wouldn't be fair...I...I'm...I'm done."

Will sat up, feeling more angry than anything. "Done what, Emma? Done trying to help your daughter? Trying to help yourself? Trying to be a mother? Emma, you can't just _quit_. It's not a job that you can just walk out of! This is your life!"

She closed her eyes, shaking her head, letting everything she'd been feeling since the realization that Lily had OCD in the first place sunk in.

"Will...I need to leave."

His breathing evened out and he sat up, grabbing her shoulder, trying to remain calm. "Emma. You aren't going anywhere."

"I need to go. Lily needs to get better. I-I can't be here in order for that to happen."

"Yes, yes you do!" Will forced his wife to look at him. "Three hours ago, we were trying to get in the car...who calmed her down? You did! Not me! I was only making it worse! She needs you, Emma! She needs someone who has been through this!"

His eyes were clouding over as Emma carefully stood up from the bed, making her way to the closet where she silently pulled out a suitcase.

"Emma!" Will traced her trail, tugging her frame to his in an embrace. "Emma, where the hell do you think you're going."

"I'm leaving, Will."

"Where are you going?"

She shook her head, letting more tears fall that day. "M-My parents...I...I'll go to my parent's house. I'll...I'll stay with them, for awhile...until Lily is better."

Will's mouth turned downwards as he attempted to keep his composure. "You...you can't just leave me, Emma! You can't...you can't just leave us! Do you not love us? Do you not love your daughter?"

"That's not fair!" Emma all but shouted, throwing a sweater into the bag she'd pulled out. "That's not fair! You know I love you! I love you both more than I could possibly express," She sobbed, bringing her hands over her heart. "That's why I have to leave! I'm hurting you! I'm hurting you, Will...I'm hurting you."

He cried as well, grabbing her upper arm, trying to force her to maintain eye-contact. "And you don't think that leaving is going to hurt me? You don't think I'm going to sit here, holding your distressed daughter, crying ourselves to sleep every night until you decide to come back?"

She moved into the bathroom, quickly grabbing a few items and stuffing them into the bag as well. Not caring that it was a jumbled mess and that her clothes would wrinkle.

"I'm leaving."

* * *

"Mommy?" Lily sat up, rubbing her eyes to find her parent's bed empty. "Mommy?"

Will sat motionless on the sofa in the corner of their bedroom, watching his preschooler pad across the carpet and pull herself into the spot next to him. "Daddy, how come Mommy's not in bed no'more?"

He didn't say anything, only pulled Lily close to him, pressing a warm kiss on her temple.

"Daddy? Where is Mommy?"

* * *

After sixteen hours on a dirty bus, Emma finally arrived in Virginia, knocking hard on her parent's door at four in the morning.

It took several minutes, and her father was standing with a wrench in one hand as he ripped the door open. When his eyes, blurred with sleep, finally focused on the face of the person in front of him, he lowered his weapon and shook his head. "Ladybug..."

She cried loudly, stepping forward into his embrace.

"...It's good to have you home, sweetheart. It's good to have you home."

* * *

...Happy one year anniversary to my _Beautiful _Series!

It's Christmas time! That means thirty glorious days off of school. My goal is to have this finished by the end of break. Last year, I managed to publish seven chapters over the same timeframe. If you all still even care about this story (LOL YOU DISAPPEAR FOR THREE MONTHS ANZAFIRE NOT LIKELY) I'll hopefully be able to knock these chapters out of the park.

This chapter is for _**kayporky**_ — thank you for your enthusiasm over the months of my departure! Also, thank you _**jaymafans**_ for editing!

Hope you enjoyed the angst!


	9. Chapter Nine

Emma's mind and body were numb. She stared helplessly into the brown, empty field next to her parent's house from the window she'd stared out as a child. Her brother and sister used to play soccer or tag with their friends in that field, while she sat and watched them having fun. Occasionally, Annie would spot her and flag her down, but Emma would shake her red curls sadly, edging away from the glass pane to seek comfort from her mother's arms.

There were very few activities that she was comfortable doing after the age of eight. Cooking was too messy, sewing required too much precision — one wrong stitch and her entire project was ruined, — sports were out of the question, and checking out books from the _public_ library was a horrifying concept.

Instead, she took solstice in writing short stories in notebooks, filling them by the dozen in a month's time. In the early nineties, her family purchased a Gateway computer with Microsoft Office, where her stories could be written without having to tear out an entire page because of a spelling mistake. The backspace button was her best friend.

She shook her head at these childhood memories. It wasn't much of a childhood at all.

Her life had been a bubble of fear, of striving for perfection, of self-hatred. Of doubts, of anticipating the next disaster, of tears and frustration.

And it was undoubtably the same life her daughter would lead.

* * *

"Can Lily come live with us?" Scott bounced on his toes while his parents spoke with Will at their kitchen table regarding the situation at hand.

"Scottie!" Sarah shook her head and slid her chair back, "No, Lily is not coming to live with us. Go back to your room like I asked you to earlier...Nick! You too," She said, spotting him peering around the corner at the adult's conversation. "Where did Lily go?"

"She's crying in Nicky's room," Scott said, a grumpy expression on his face. "She said she wants her Mommy, but that her Mommy's not home, so she wants to just cry."

Will pulled at a mound of curls on top of his head, lips pressed together tightly.

"Will," Sarah's soft voice flooded his ears, "Do you want to go talk to her? Do you want me to try?"

He swallowed a lump in his throat before replying, "I don't know what else to say at this point."

The blonde nodded and left the room, opening the basement door first and requesting her boys play their game system before trotting down the hall to her eldest son's bedroom, where Lily had curled up on his pillows.

"Hey, sweet girl." Sarah stepped to the bed, siting down slowly as not to startle the preschooler. "Do you want to talk about it?" Lily shook her head no, but moved a hand out to be taken by her neighbor. "Honey, it's okay to be sad. But you know what? Crying isn't really going to help."

"I want my Mommy."

Sarah gently pulled Lily up and into her lap, kissing her damp cheek and brushing her hair back. "I know you do. I know you wish she was here. But right now, Mommy has to be away. She needs to get better so she can come back and take care of you right. Do you understand that?"

Lily shook her head. "But I want her!"

"Oh, Lily," Sarah rubbed her back and kissed her again. "I'm so sorry you feel that way. But you know what? I'm right here, and I'll be happy to help you do the things that your Mommy usually does. I can help you pick out your clothes and paint your pretty fingernails, whatever you need me to do for you. I'm not going to be your new Mommy, but I'll help you while your real Mommy is getting better. How does that sound?"

"When will my Mommy be back?" The three-year-old asked with tear-filled eyes.

"I don't know the answer, sweetie. But always remember that your Mommy loves you more than anything in the whole wide world, even if she's not here with you right now."

"Where is my Daddy?" Lily asked after a few moments of snuggling in silence.

"He's in my kitchen. Would you like to go see him?"

"Yes, please."

Sarah carried the troubled girl into the eating area, where she promptly squirmed to climb into her father's lap, where she was met with an enormous hug. "I love you, baby."

"I love you, Daddy."

The conversation carried on, with decisions being made as to how Lily and Scott would get too and from preschool, who would have the kids when, and so forth until Lily declared, "I'm not going to preschool!"

"Sweetheart, it's not a choice." Will kissed her temple. "You're going to do just fine."

"Daddy, I'm not going to preschool!"

He turned her to face him, his expression serious. "Then you'll go to Miss Carolyn's house all day, every day."

"No!" Lily shrieked, leaning forward to cry into his shirt. "Daddy, no! I want to stay home with you!"

"I know that is what you want, Lily. But that's not what can happen. I have to go to work. You can either go to preschool or daycare. Those are your only choices. If you go to preschool, you'll get to go to Papa's on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday's after school. Tuesday and Thursday you'll come here with Miss Sarah. If you go to daycare, you stay there all day."

"Daddy," She sobbed heavily, her breathing increasing and face paling, causing Will to stand up and run them to the bathroom, where she emptied her stomach.

"Lily," He shook his head, emotionally spent. "Lily Ann, this has got to stop. I know how upset you are about everything. About therapy, about the accident, about Mommy leaving, about going to school...honey, I know. I _know_. I'm upset, too...but baby, we've got to stick together. We have to keep going."

"Daddy...when is Mommy going to be home?" She muttered, nuzzling into his chest.

Will looked up to see Sarah and Paul giving him sympathetic glances from the doorway. "I don't know. I just don't know."

* * *

"You haven't told him you got here? Emma!"

The younger redhead snapped her head towards her mother, raising a brow, the first hint at any emotion she'd expressed that day.

"What are you doing?"

The elder Pillsbury took the phone off the hook and glared at her daughter, this one of the few times she'd ever felt true disappointment towards her youngest child. "Hello, Will. It's Linda. I'm sorry, I hadn't realized your wife didn't let you know she'd made it into town last night. She's here, safe. Oh, you're welcome dear...Yes, I'll let her know..."

Emma stomped across the kitchen tile and out to the back deck, throwing herself onto a bench and putting her face in her hands, trying not to listen as her mother's voice carried out an open window.

"...She hasn't said much, no...I'm afraid I really don't know what she is doing here. But I'm sorry she left you in such a state. I'm sorry she left her _daughter_ in such a state...yes, I do hear her. It's quite heartbreaking..."

Feeling sick to her stomach, just as her anxiety-ridden daughter so often did, Emma moved once again, dragging her bare feet across the long, soft grass of her childhood backyard and trying to keep her breathing steady. The lawn was green as she remembered, from the days when stepping in it wasn't terrifying. Sucking in a deep breath, she let the anxiety out through her mouth and closed her lips in a smile. She was seven years old again, it was spring, and she'd just found her easter basket under the swing set. Taking a glance in the direction of the still-standing wooden playscape, Emma moved to take a seat in the swing, something she hadn't done in twenty-five years.

She pushed her legs out and pulled them back in, letting her instinct take over as she felt the flying sensation that only a swing set could bring. Feeling her mouth turn upwards of it's own accord, Emma let out a small laugh. She'd spent twenty-five years fearing the germs that would linger on the surface of the rope from the last user. Fearing the possibility of a spider building a web between the wooden crevices, fearing a bird landing or defecating on her. For what?

She felt free, for the first time in years.

After twenty straight minutes of life in the air, Emma slowed the swing to a halt, standing and letting a breeze ruffle her hair as she looked to the left at the field she'd been staring at when she woke up.

Mindful that her previous actions were probably pushing her still-sore stomach to it's limit, she thought through her new plan.

Throwing caution into the same breeze that whipped her hair, Emma walked slowly to the edge of the muddy acre before her. After a self-timed countdown, she broke into a sprint, running and leaping from one end of the field to the next, stopping at a row of pine trees that separated their property from the farmer next to them.

Winded, she shrugged to herself and tossed her body down, straight onto the earth below her toes.

Laying in the browned grass, letting her eyes track clouds, Emma caught her breath and reflected on the past half hour.

She'd gone outside barefoot.

Swung on her playscape.

Ran through a muddy field.

Laid in the grass.

And none of it hurt.

Pulling her arm over her eyes, she let out a primal cry, hysterically sobbing into her arm.

She'd missed out on so much life. So many wasted opportunities to simply enjoy the universe around her.

But no more.

She would no longer be bound by the chains of her OCD.

She would run through the rain and meet her husband in a kiss, just like those sappy movies she made him watch.

She would finger-paint with her three-year-old, encouraging the little girl to face her own fear at the same time.

She would go to a movie and sit in a seat covered in popcorn dust. She would step in a puddle wearing her Mary Jane's. She would mix red and green grapes.

She would live. She would be happy.

Accepting her own proposition, conquering her own fear, Emma's tears halted and she turned to the side, changing her cries to laughter as she rolled around the dirt, spreading her arms and letting it coat every inch of her.

* * *

"Emma, you're tracking dirt in the kitchen," Linda sighed, standing up from her place at the counter barstool. Then she paused, blinking. "Emma..._you_ are tracking _dirt_ through the kitchen."

Tears pulled at both of their eyes and Linda rushed to wrap her muddy daughter in a tight hug. "Emma!"

"Mom...I...I want to be messy. I've been...doing better...since...since Lily was born. Since I married Will...but now, just...now...I've really opened my eyes. I know all that I've lost out on so much life by living this way...and...and I'm not going to miss out anymore."

The older woman pulled back to look her daughter square in the face, trying to find words to express her elated emotions. "Darling, I...I...I don't know what to say!"

Emma choked a happy sob. "Just hug me, Mom. You don't have to say anything.

* * *

Will hadn't slept properly since Sunday night.

It was early Saturday morning.

Between Lily's tears and his own, he was running on nothing but determination to make it to work on the following Monday morning.

"Daddy," The familiar cry came from the pink room down the hall from his, where he had forced his daughter to sleep so he could let out some of his own emotions before dealing with hers again. "Daddy, please! I want you!"

"Come here," He called loudly, wiping his eyes before seeing a disaster of a three-year-old leaping into his king-sized bed with her security blanket. "No talking, okay? Just go to sleep."

"Daddy..."

"Lily Ann," He spoke firmly, "I mean it. You need to sleep. I need to sleep. That's all we're going to do...sleep."

"Daddy, I didn't take a bath last night." She mumbled, turning into the pillow. "Daddy, I feel really yucky."

Will closed his eyes and told himself to breathe deeply. "You can have one in the morning. Go. To. Sleep."

She whimpered and scooted further from him. "Mommy would let me have one now."

"Mommy isn't here."

At the statement, Lily's quiet wines turned into another bought of blubbering, which was quickly changed to heaving anxiety, forcing Will to jump out of bed and hold her over the toilet in his bathroom. When she'd finished, she crumpled to the ground and threw her head back, letting out a long, loud cry. At the sight, Will plugged the bathtub drain and let warm water flow from the faucet.

He gently pulled Lily from the floor, removing her clothes in a manner that wouldn't startle her. As the water rose, he placed her in the center of the tub, giving a sad smile at her sigh of relief.

Silently, he shampooed her hair with a tangle-free solution, then quietly sudsed up her body.

Once she was free of soap, he unclogged the drain and lifted her out, wrapping her snuggly in an oversized towel, then pulled her close to him, rubbing her back and kissing her wet cheek. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. I'm so sorry."

She buried her face into his neck. "Daddy, I love you."

"I love you, too." He pulled her away slightly, smiling. "Come on, let's get you in some clean jammies."

Once she sported a fresh clothes, Lily walked to her converted crib, patting it gently. "Daddy, you want to sleep in here with me?"

He cringed at the thought of curling up on the cramped mattress, but once he looked into the eyes of his little girl, he knew he'd wake up with a kink in his neck. "Of course, Lily."

The two ended up sleeping until well into the afternoon, until Lily scampered into the kitchen, attempting to pour herself a bowl of cereal before Will caught the box and clicked his tongue. "Are you supposed to get your own food, baby?"

She giggled and hugged his leg. "I'm hungry, Daddy!"

"Well, alright...how about something a little more exciting than cereal? Want to help me make waffles?"

"Yes! Yes, please, Daddy! But no syrup!"

Will laughed and lifted her to the kitchen island where he pulled out Emma's homemade powdered mixture which created the most delicious waffles he'd ever tasted.

"Don't forget! Only two cups of water!" Lily called as he hunted for a measuring cup in Emma's elaborately-organized kitchen.

"Thank you for remembering, sweetheart," Will chuckled, finally finding the the glass device.

"I wish Mommy was here."

He sighed at the statement, wishing she'd quit brining it up.

X

"So...dear, now that you've made your life-changing self-discovery...and I don't mean that lightly...but don't you think it's time to go back to your husband and daughter? Lily starts school on Monday, and Will—"

Emma shook her head as she speared a bite of a late lunch, she'd spent most of the night tossing and turning and hadn't fallen asleep until well into the AM, waking to find it was far past breakfast or a decent lunch hour. "They don't need me there for that, Mom." She sighed, "I didn't leave for myself. I left because _Lily_ needs to get better. They don't need me there for that to happen."

"Emma! She is your daughter! She needs her mother. Not just a father! Will loves her, but you have experience in dealing with this—"

"Exactly, Mom! It's my fault that she has these problems! Not only does she have OCD, which she got, from _me_, but now she has Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder! Mom, I caused that accident! I put my daughter's life at risk...And yeah, you know what? She was fine, physically...but now she's got another mental...illness! And it's _my fault_."

Linda stood and crossed her arms. "If you really believe that...I'm very disappointed in you."

"What, Mom? What? How can you be disappointed? I made the right choice by leaving! I've already messed Lily up twice. I'm not going to wait and risk something else happening for a third!"

"You really believe that you caused your daughter's problems?"

Emma rolled her eyes and shook her head again, trying to remain the calm, adult woman she was.

Linda sat back down, across from Emma, reaching to take her own daughter's hands into her own. "Honey, you did not cause your child to have these problems. Ah, ah," She paused as Emma opened her mouth to interrupt, "Let me speak, sweetheart. You know, for years, your father and I blamed ourselves for causing your OCD?"

The younger redhead's eyes grew wide as she whispered, "You did?"

"Mhm...we always had the 'what if we'd never taken her that day,' or, 'what if we'd just left Kevin at home? Honey...we felt so guilty, for so long. I used to cry myself to sleep for you, just wanting you to be able to," Linda choked back tears, "Eat your grapes without washing each one first, or go to school during flu season without a face mask on."

"Mom..." Emma pushed her plate aside, "Mom, it wasn't your fault! It...it wasn't Kevin's fault either. No one could have known what would happen."

Linda raised a brow, giving Emma a moment to think about what she said, then turn her face down to clear her throat. "It's um...It's different, with Lily."

"And how is that? I know it can take a long time to realize. I think you'd moved out of the house by the time I stopped pitting the guilt on myself. But you know what, Emma? If I had...tried more, to help you," Linda stumbled over her words again on a lump of lingering guilt in her throat, "Instead of just...dealing with you...honey...I could have helped you realize it's okay to track dirt into the house twenty-five years ago. Baby, you don't want to grow old and realize that Lily could have been better all that time!"

Emma was quiet as she let her mother's words sink in. For fifteen long minutes, the women sat in silence until the younger Pillsbury whispered a hoarse, "Mom?"

"Yes, baby?" Linda replied, moving seats to pull her daughter close.

"The truth is...I...I know that Lily might need me. She might...and I know, I know that I'm okay...but I think I need a little bit...of time. Away from it all...to process everything that's happened...and...to give Will a little space from two crazy girls."

Stroking her daughter's hair, Linda nodded in understanding. "Okay, okay, honey. You can stay as long as you think you need to...on one condition."

"What's that?" Emma asked, clutching her mother's shoulder's tightly.

"I want you to call Will by tonight. Explain to him why you're feeling this way. Remind him that you love him and Lily. Tell him you'll be home as soon as you can."

Emma breathed out heavily, "Okay. Okay, I'll call. Tonight."

"And Sweetheart?"

"Yeah, Mom?"

Linda pulled away, giving her youngest child a serious look. "I want you to talk to your father as well. Explain why you're here, and that you're not still mad at him from way back in June..."

Emma sucked in a breath and swallowed her pride, nodding in agreement.

* * *

"Miss Sarah said she'd help me pick out my clothes, Daddy." Lily pouted, swinging her legs on the edge of her bed as Will flipped through her wardrobe in search of something suitable.

"But it's just Saturday. We're not going anywhere, so it really doesn't matter what you wear."

"...Can I just stay in my jammies, then?"

Will smirked, turning around. "Is that what you want, Lil?"

The three-year-old nodded vigorously, giggling when a devilish smile crept across her father's face and he flew forward to tickle her into oblivion against her plush, flowery comforter.

"Daddy! Daddy!" She shrieked, in joy rather than the past few day's of terror-filled screams. "Daddy!"

"Okay, okay," He stopped, lifting her into his lap and hugging her close. "Pajama party day?"

"Yeah! Can we have a pajama party every day?"

Will kissed her cheek and groaned. "Baby, you know I have to go to work next week."

"Daddy..." She pouted. "I don't want you to!"

"It's not a choice...but you know what? How about instead of being sad about it today, we have some fun?"

Lily's eyes turned towards him and she bore a grin. "What are we going to do?"

"We could...play with your Little People? Play hide and seek? Watch a movie?"

"...Dress up!"

She skipped to her trunk beneath the window, pulling out tutus, crowns and wings, handing Will a pair of butterfly ones and a sparkling crown, which he put on with dignity.

"Perfect!" Lily squealed as she quickly pulled on a flowery pink skirt, twirling in it and asking, "Am I perfect, too?"

Will took her hand and twirled her in a circle. "You're always perfect, baby."

"Daddy!" She tugged at his arm, leading them to the living room, "Daddy, let's dance!"

He smiled widely; there hadn't been much dancing, music or any sort of theatricality in their house in a long time.

Finding an appropriate mix of 80's and 90's hits, Will turned the volume up and joined his daughter in leaping and spinning around the living room for the better part of an hour, until she paused to ask for a drink. He gave her juice — without watering it down...if Emma wasn't going to be home, he wasn't going to follow all of her overprotective rules — and lifted her onto his hip, kissing her forehead. "Do you like dancing, Lily?" She nodded wildly, eyes wide as she drank out of the sippy-cup she still used. "Do you think you'd want to go to dance class this fall? They'll teach you how to dance for real."

"Will you be there?" She asked, popping the cup from her mouth.

"Sure...I'll watch you every week."

"Yeah! Daddy, if you promise you'll come!"

Will smirked, feeling a proposition. "Okay...well, here's the thing, Lil. You can only go to dance class if you go to school. You have to be a big girl and stay the whole time. You can't have meltdowns."

Her little eyes turned downwards. "Are those the rules?"

He hummed an agreement, "Mhm, those are the rules. When you don't stay at preschool and you cry the whole time, you can't go to dance class. Only big girls can go to dance class."

"Daddy...I want to go. I'll be a big girl!"

"Okay, sweetheart. We'll see how you do on Monday."

She yawned, nodding. "I'll do good, Daddy. I promise, I'll do good."

"You promise?"

"Yeah...I'm tired. Can we please dance one more time?"

"Of course, baby. Then we'll have a nap."

"Make it a slow one!"

Will shuffled through his iPod until the perfect song came on, one with lyrics begging his daughter to never grow old. She didn't know why he was choking back tears, but she snuggled into his neck as he swayed in the middle of the living room, holding her as tightly as he could.

"I love you, Lily Ann...Never grow up, baby girl." He kissed her tenderly as the song faded to a close and walked silently down the hall, resting her sleepy frame on her baby-sized mattress.

His cellphone vibrated in his pocket as he watched Lily sleep. Moving quickly, he pulled it out, eyes frozen at the Virginia area code. With a shaking finger, he pressed the talk button.

"Hey," Emma breathed into the phone as Will picked up, speechless. "Um...Will...gosh, I-I don't even know...know where to begin."

"Em..." Will managed the syllable, sighing as he moved from the doorway of their daughter's room to his own, sitting on the bench in the window, pulling his knees to his chest.

Two thousand miles away, Emma was in a similar position, curled up in a rocking chair overlooking the place not twenty-four hours earlier, she had conquered her fear. Deciding to share this information with Will, she cleared her throat and announced, "I ran through a field yesterday. A muddy, dirty field. With no shoes on. And then I laid on the ground. I can't...Will, I...I can't believe I wasted twenty-five years of my life being afraid of dirt. It's just...dirt."

A small, sarcastic chuckle came from Will's side as he watched a bored Scott stare hopelessly at the swing set in their backyard, wishing his best friend would come out to play. "Well, I'm glad you're enjoying yourself."

"Will," Emma sighed, "I'm not here—"

"I know, I know," He huffed. "Honestly, I'm proud that you made that discovery. I'm glad you did...but I need you here, Emma."

Her eyes flew down to her toes, which she wiggled in nervousness. "No you don't, I was only—"

"Yes!" Will's voice raised, "Yes, yes I do! I didn't sign up to be a single parent, Emma! God...I need you here! Lily needs her mother! You're the one who has overcome OCD! You've suffered through a traumatic event! I haven't gone through those things! I can't relate to her in the same way you can!"

"No! I only make it worse!" She insisted, feeling hot tears pouring down her face. "Will, she reverts even further back when I'm around. She doesn't leave my side! She wants my comfort, and I can't help but give it to her! I've stifled her progress enough by denying she had a medical condition in the first place. I can't continue to smother her!"

"So don't!" Will was shouting now, standing from the window seat and moving around the room, pacing. "Don't coddle her! Don't be afraid to say no! And above all, don't stay two thousand miles away, in Virginia, making all of us miserable!"

"I'm not trying to make you miserable, Will! I'm just trying to help the situation!"

"By running away from it," He shook his head, staring at the ceiling as angry tears fell from his eyes as well. "Just like you always do. Whenever it's hard...just deny that anything's wrong, then it's just like nothing's happening, right?"

"No, Will," Emma sobbed, "No!"

"Then why the hell aren't you on a plane or a bus coming back to be with your three-year-old? To be with your husband? Or do you not even want to be with us anymore?"

"You're taking it out of context," She blubbered, "Will, you know that I love you!"

He breathed fast and hard, curling his hands into fists and seething. "You've got a funny way of showing it."

"Will, please don't get mad! Please don't—"

"No, Emma...don't. Just don't. You know what? Maybe you should stay in Virginia for awhile."

"Don't hang up," She cried, "We can—"

He hung up and threw the phone to the ground, letting it hit the carpet as he moved to Lily's room, gently lifting her exhausted frame and carrying her outside, where Sarah was speaking to Scott in the backyard.

"Could you—" He started, but didn't need to finish as she extended her arms over the gate and took the girl without waking her.

"Take as long as you need. Lock up, I've got your spare if she ends up needing anything."

Will didn't bother thanking the blonde as she silenced her son and carried Lily into her home.

Grabbing his keys and throwing on a pair of jeans, he locked the house and started the new car, driving a route to someone he hadn't seen in awhile.

* * *

"Emma, I really can't even be nice to you right now," Annie shook her head in disappointment at her younger sister and best friend. "I can not believe that my sister would just up and leave her husband and daughter...actually, you know what? I can. Because you run away from everything that scares you, Emma. You always have, and it looks like you always will!"

"No I haven't!" The younger redhead stood, on fire with anger towards the one person she thought would understand her.

"Yes you have! You're eight. Therapy is hard. You run out of the office, crying and quit. High school is tough. You make mom and dad pull you out and put you in a private school. Being on a college campus was too hard. You transfer home and went to CC. You see me and Kev getting a normal, happy life, so you run away to frickin' Ohio, in a nice, safe, suburban neighborhood, where you could live in your pristine, sterile condo! You—"

"Stop!" Emma shrieked, "Stop it, Annie! I'm not a child! You can't...you can't talk to me like this! I called you because I wanted your advice! You've always been there for me, all those times when I, in your opinion, ran away! And now you're going to yell at me for choices I made in the past?"

"No!" The older Pillsbury screamed, eyebrows knitted together in fury. "No, I'm yelling at you for a choice you made now that is clearly going to affect your future! You _left_ Will and Lily! You'll be lucky if he takes you back, let alone lets you continue living in the same happy family life you were! You ruined everything because you were afraid!"

"Damnit!" Emma cried, standing and leaving the living room, slamming the front door shut behind her, only to hear her sister yelling after her.

"That's right, run away again!"

With no means of transportation, Emma walked, barefoot, down the gravel road. It was three miles until she would arrive in town, but she didn't care. She wasn't needed in her own home. She wasn't wanted in her family home.

Feeling empty, she sat down on the curb once she reached a main road, letting the dust fly up from cars as they past by, covering her in the dirty mixture.

Not caring, Emma relished the feeling of a fine layer of earth. It felt oddly refreshing.

* * *

A familiar smug look met Will as the door was opened of an incredibly exquisite home on the upper part of Lima. "What's your life crisis this time?"

He sighed, feeling strangely relieved at the never-changing sarcasm from his ex-wife. "Terri, you know that I'm not using you—"

"Come in, watch for Legos."

He stepped around several impressive rocket-like creations scattered throughout the walkway as an eight-year-old ran past him, carrying two more.

"Austin, can you give Will your eyes and say hello, please?" Terri asked her adopted son, pressing her hand to his shoulder to ensure she had his attention.

The blonde boy struggled for a moment, but eventually looked up at Will, lifting his hand from near his eyebrow up in a salute-like fashion, signing a greeting to the man.

"Hello, Austin," Will gave the same sign back as the boy ran up a flight of stairs, bumping into one of his sisters without apologizing.

"Hey!" The curly-haired five-year-old pouted, finishing her descent and hugged Terri's legs. "He pushed me again, Mommy."

Terri rolled her eyes and ruffled the bouncy curls before prying the little hands off of her. "Kristi, you know he doesn't mean it. Toughen up, baby cakes. Did you finish cleaning your room?"

Kristen shrank and let out a little peep before taking the stairs two at a time back up. Just when the adults thought they were alone, a six-year-old appeared from the kitchen with a cookie in one hand, looking like a deer trapped in headlights as Terri questioned, "And Angie, did you finish lunch today?" She shook her head, pigtails swinging. "Then I suggest you put that back and go upstairs please." The defeated soon-to-be first grader did so, muttering an apology on the way up.

"Okay, now that we've got ten seconds alone," Terri cleared her throat and put her hands on her hips as she surveyed her clean kitchen, directing Will to sit with her eyes. "Have a seat."

"How, um...how's school?"

"I finished last February," She said, pouring Will a glass of lemonade. "But I guess you wouldn't know that. I find it a bit strange that I see your current wife more often than I see you...I think it was last Christmas that you last came around...Austin still enjoys those bongos you got him...although the rest of us usually want to throw them out the window. I'm actually enrolling him in an after-school music program. He really responds well to it."

"So you're a full-time nurse?"

"Yes...I work two fourteen hour shifts, and one twelve hour shift, three days a week. It's a long day, but I do enjoy it. I actually worked trauma last Monday night. I saw that your wife and daughter were checked in, but I was so busy that I never got to find the three of you. I did sneak a peak at the report though, don't tell. I wanted to make sure they were alright. I'm assuming you're here relating to something of that nature?"

"...Emma left. Thursday...she just...thinks she's doing more harm than good for Lily."

Terri blinked. "That was unexpected..."

Will groaned and rubbed his hands over his eyes. "What did you do, Terri? What did you do that day that I walked out?"

She sighed, looking hard at the refrigerator as memories washed over her.

_The door had slammed shut and Terri resigned herself to a hysterical sob, a single, primal cry of loss. It shook her entire body and she fell to the floor, laying in her own misery for more than an hour before picking herself up and moving to the kitchen to pour a glass of wine, which she hadn't drank in over three months as the pillow-baby grew under her shirt._

_One glass turned to two, which turned to an entire bottle in less than fifteen minutes._

_She'd lost him, and she was sure there was no way to get them back._

Shaking herself of the darkest night of her life, Terri cleared her throat and looked Will in the eye. "Will, when you left...I just...I just knew it was over. That it was not going to be okay. I had no doubt about that. I drank myself to sleep after accepting it...but then, in the morning...I decided to consider the reasons why you left. That's why I started going to therapy. I needed to get myself together before I could even think about having relationship with someone else. And that worked."

Will shook his head. "Emma didn't leave because she was mad at me...she was mad at herself."

Terri shrugged. "She's probably got to find herself then, before she can come back to you. I think she'll come back, Will...provided you want her back. You do want her back, don't you?" Will was silent, he was sure he did...but their conversation on the phone had him doubting everything. "You better want her back. She's the best damn thing that ever happened to you. Look, she's different. We both know that. Just...give her a little space." Terri smiled slightly, covering Will's hand with her own. "Women need that sometimes, you know. Call her, tell her you love her...or better yet, find her, and _show_ her you love her. Then tell her to take as much time as she needs. You'll be waiting."

* * *

Ed Pillsbury let out a grunt as he squatted on his aging knees, repositioning himself and removing his clerical collar as he sat on the sidewalk next to his daughter. "If God himself had told me that I'd find my Ladybug sitting on a curb covered in dirt as cars drove past her, I'd have never believed him. But here you are. And I'm so proud of you." He reached around and pulled her to him, letting her hair, matted in a layer of dust fall over his chest as tears left trails down her grimy cheeks. "Oh, Ladybug..."

"Mom wants me to go home, but Will doesn't want me there and Annie said I ruined everything and I don't even know what to do anymore and Lily probably hates me and, and—"

"Easy, easy..." Ed rocked her gently. "Sweetheart, how about we take this somewhere else?"

"Where?" Emma cried, sniffing, "Daddy, no one wants me!"

He kissed her cheek, not caring for a moment about the dirt. "I want you, baby. Come on, we can go to my office." He tugged her up and they walked a short distance to the only church in town, a small chapel, deeply in need of repairs. "It's been awhile since you were here."

"You were supposed to retire two years ago, Dad." Emma mumbled as they made their way through the sanctuary portion and into a lobby where his office jutted off of.

He shrugged and smirked. "Sometimes, your work just isn't done. Take a seat, 'Bug. I'm going to get you something to drink. I'll be back in a moment."

As he left, Emma's eyes fell on the bottle of hand sanitizer on his desk. Looking down at her own palms, she cringed, but resisted the urge to use it. She was better. She didn't need it.

"Here..." Ed returned with a cup, which Emma drank greedily from.

"Daddy," She sighed as she finished, eyes stuck to the floor. "Daddy, Lily has OCD. And...and we were on our way home from therapy. And...I was so upset, because she was upset, she hates therapy, and it wasn't doing her any good and she was hysterical, so I was hysterical," And she was as she told the story, "And I wasn't paying attention and I crashed the car and now she has post-traumatic stress disorder and It's all my fault and I—"

Her shoulders shook as she hid her face in her hands, heaving and sobbing uncontrollably.

The preacher, usually full of wisdom, took a seat next to her and held her as she let out every emotion she had. He had nothing to say.

* * *

Merry Christmas! Only **one more chapter** to go! (But if you've been good this year, you might receive an epilogue.)

Thanks for all the support, I was happy to see there's still interest! And thank you _**jaymafans**_ for editing again!


	10. Chapter Ten

_Will and Emma sat at the end of the hall while Lily took cautious steps forward, rocking back and fourth as she attempted to keep her balance. At fourteen months, she was a late walker, almost to the point where she'd be labeled developmentally delayed. But, she was premature, given leeway in catching up to her peers; and Will felt that her late walking was due to both parents spoiling her so endlessly, that she'd never needed to walk anywhere, let alone want to._

"_Come on, baby girl!" Emma cheered, radiating with pride as the bitty redhead flapped her arms, clearly deciding if she was bold enough to make it four feet past her nursery door. "You can do it, Lily!"_

_Will bore a similar expression as he watched her teeter until she finally reached Emma's open arms, collapsing into them and nuzzling her chest._

"_Good job, sweet-pea! Oh, I'm so happy for you!" She gushed and carried on, squeaking praises at their baby. _

"_Mama?" Lily babbled, looking up. "Dada?" She turned her gaze to Will, smiling widely and reaching her hand to him. He took the tiny hand in his own, kissing her fingers before kissing Emma's cheek._

Will sat up abruptly as the second period bell rang loudly from the hallway, signaling the end of his study hall and the start to his Spanish III class. The memory was as vivd as the day it had happened. Even though it was only two years previous, Will missed the days of Lily's toddlerhood.

As students filed in, he stretched his hands above his head, motivating himself to be cheerful on the first day of school.

He began to run through his syllabus before starting a fast-paced review game with the teenagers when a soft knock at the door and a cringing blonde behind the glass caught his attention. Attached to his neighbor's hip was his three-year-old, face red, eyes puffy, and body quaking in fear.

"Uno momento, por favor," The instructor demanded of his students before taking hold of the knob and reaching out to grab the scrambling, sobbing redhead into his arms. "What happened?" He asked Sarah, who looked beyond frazzled.

"Will, I just...I couldn't leave her. I've never seen a child so distraught, and I'm a pediatric nurse. She made herself sick, and I don't know how much more upset she could become than that."

Will rocked the preschooler back and forth, stroking her curls and letting his eyes close. "...We've got a half day, then a short faculty meeting. I know you have to get to work, so I'll just keep her here and have my dad pick her up on the way to getting Scott. Thanks for trying, Sar."

"Not a problem," The blonde sighed and rubbed Lily's back comfortingly. "Feel better, baby girl."

She waved sadly and Will heaved his shoulders, muttering, "You need to be quiet, understand?" To his daughter. She nodded and he turned back to his class, "Please ignore the three-year-old in blue," He cleared his throat, moving behind his desk to pick up the review game sheets he had and passed them out. "Jugamos!"

The students read the instructions independently then moved around the room, speaking Spanish to one another to find out facts in order to fill out a bingo-like card. Meanwhile, Will sat down in his desk chair and put Lily on his lap, tilting her chin up and forcing her to look at him.

"Daddy," She whispered, her face forming a grimace. "Are you mad at me?"

"Lily, I'm disappointed that you didn't stay at school. I'm not mad at you."

She leaned forward and hid her tear-stained face in his button-down, "I'm sorry, Daddy."

"You don't have to be, baby...but you know this means no dance class, right?"

Lily moved to rest her head on Will's shoulder and rub his collar between her fingers. "But I'll be a good girl, Daddy!"

"The deal was that you had to stay at preschool all day, like a big girl. Now you'll have to wait until tomorrow to try."

She pouted, groaning into his neck. "Daddy, it's no fair!"

"Sh, sh...you need to be quiet. It's like breaking a rule, Lily. Everything you do has a consequence."

"What's that?" Lily questioned, pulling back to meet her father's irritated expression.

"It no matter what you do, good or bad, something else follows it. Say I see you trying to sneak a cookie before dinner. What happens?"

"Daddy, I didn't!" She gasped, shaking her head.

"I know, I know, but I'm just trying to give you an example. Pretend I saw you sneaking a cookie. What would happen?"

"I would have to go do think time in my room," She grumbled.

"Right, see, that's a consequence. You chose to do something bad, so I would have to put you in think time. But there are good consequences, too. Like if you had stayed at school today, you would have gotten to go to dance class."

"So I have a bad con'aquence? For cryin' and not staying at school?"

"Exactly. So, instead of going to dance class tonight with me, you're going to go to have to come to..." Will thought of the most torturous place he could bring his daughter without starting a meltdown, "You're going to have to go to the music store with me."

"Daddy!" She pouted, Lily despised the smell of the old sheet music and knew she'd be tugging aimlessly on her father's pants as he strolled isles for _hours_. "Daddy, no."

"Yep, I need to get something new to work on, and since there will be no one to watch you, you've got to come with me. That's the consequence."

Lily threw her head back and whined, "Daddy, _please_!"

"Enough whining," He looked up to see his students finishing their activity. "Estudantes! Tres mas minutos!" He called out, eyeing the clock. "Listen, I've got three more classes to go, so I'm going to pull up a desk by mine for you to sit in quietly. I don't have any toys for you to play with, so crayons and paper are going to have to be it. Understand?"

She furrowed her brow and cried miserably towards him. "But Mommy has toys in her office!"

It was true, Emma kept an entire drawer devoted to times when a babysitter wasn't available for their tiny tot, usually during before or after school meetings, which was full of items to keep a three-year-old entertained.

"Well, baby, Mommy's not here, so we can't go get them. You chose not to have fun at school, so instead, you get to sit here and be bored."

"Can I at least go play with Aunt Shannon?" She begged, tears sloshing down her face.

Will's eyebrow rose. Coach Bieste was strangely good with his daughter. Perhaps she could be of some assistance in getting the three-year-old to stay in preschool.

* * *

Emma paced back and forth in front of her cellphone, wanting desperately to receive a call or text message from Will or her father-in-law to find out how Lily's first day of preschool had gone. When one in the afternoon rolled around, she could wait no longer, and chose to send a text message to the older Mr. Schuester.

_How was the first day? Sorry I missed it..._

It took several minutes, but a reply filled with obvious annoyance was received.

_Disaster. As was expected when she didn't have her mother here for comfort. Come home, Em._

Her heart seemed to stop as she read the words over and over, shaking her head in disbelief.

_Did she have any fun once she adjusted?_

_There was no adjustment and no fun. She didn't stay. Too much anxiety. Seriously. We need you._

Emma doubted that and placed her mobile down, shaking her head and stampeding down the stairs to where her mother sat on the phone, nodding silently and muttering sympathetic utterances every now and then, not aware of her daughter's presence.

"Will, I'm sure it'll get better. It's going to take time, but you know that...I know. I'm so sorry. If there's anything I can do...If you want me to, I'll take the first flight out—okay, okay...I understand. No, she's been hauled upstairs most of the day. She hasn't talked much since your phone conversation. She's really rattled. Ed is quite upset with her, for leaving you...Oh, I don't doubt it. Your father is a great man, Will. If I weren't her mother, I'd be furious as hell, too. But I know Emma...You know her too...it'll pass, I'm sure. But...I just don't know when. I'm sorry...Don't be too hard on Lily, dear. She's just as upset as you are. She needs time...okay. Take care. Call whenever you want. Uh-huh...bye."

"Mom." Emma stated, her voice full of concern, "What happened to Lily?"

Linda rubbed her temples. "Why don't you call your husband and find out for yourself?" She asked, drilling her fingertips onto the countertop. "I'm sure he'd be more than willing to explain the nightmare of a day to you."

"Oh, no..." The younger redhead slipped into a stool next to her mother. "Please, tell me?"

"Darling, I love you. But this is a matter that would be best sorted out with your husband, not myself."

Emma gripped her curls and closed her eyes tightly. "He doesn't want to talk with me, Mom. Will doesn't want anything to do with me."

"I don't think so. Call him, you'll see."

* * *

"Aunt Shannon!" Lily squealed excitedly as she jumped from Will's desk to the floor the following morning, dressed in bright pink leggings with a tunic in a paler hue of the color. "Aunt Shannon!"

"Hey, peanut!" The football coach crouched with open arms for the three-year-old to jump into, snuggling into her neck. "You look like you're all dressed up for something!"

"I...well, no."

"How come? Your Daddy-O tells me you're supposed to go to preschool!"

Lily looked down and shook her head. "I can't go. I'm too scared."

"Aw, come on, now, Lily! Lots of things are scary! But you can't learn to be brave if you don't try them, right?"

She gripped Shannon's collar and swallowed. "Aunt Shannon, can I play with you today?"

"I'll tell you what, Lil. If you can stay in preschool _all_ day, you can come back and help me teach gym. Does that sound like fun?"

"Yeah!" Lily squeaked, "Daddy, I get to play gym with Aunt Shannon!"

Will stepped towards the two, "Well, we better get you to preschool, then."

She shrank into Shannon's embrace when the gym teacher gave a little shrug. "How about I come with you to preschool today? We'll all go in together until you're comfortable staying by yourself."

"Can you just stay with me?" She peeped, her lower lip trembling.

"No tears, now," Shannon shook her head. "Big girls have to stay in school all by themselves. But you are going to have so much fun, Lil. I promise."

The three piled into Will's new Chevy, with Lily squeaking in protest about not wanting to be in the car and reminding Will to, "Drive safely!" every twenty-five seconds on the way to the school several miles away. When the pulled into the lot, Lily promptly burst into fat, genuine tears, screeching about not wanting to go in.

"Just think about what you get to do if you go in, baby," Will whispered as he unbuckled her seatbelt and lifted the girl from her car seat. "Play gym with Aunt Shannon, go to dance class...Sounds like a lot of fun, doesn't it?"

"Daddy!" She sobbed, holding onto his neck for dear life and shaking her head violently. "Daddy, _please_ don't make me go! Please don't leave me! Daddy, _please_!"

Will's heart was breaking as Shannon opened the door for the two Schuester's with a deeply concerned expression on her face. "Welcome to a meltdown," Will mumbled as they approached the first classroom in a long wing labeled _Early Childhood_. "Here we go, baby...Look, Scottie's here!" He attempted to excite the little girl, who only clung to him and cried. "Oh, and here's your teacher! Hello, Miss Q," Will greeted a young college graduate who was enthusiastic about her group of three-year-olds.

"Hi, there! Lily, I see you're here to try again?" The small woman approached the group of three. "Are you Mr. and Mrs. Schuester?"

"I'm Mr, this is Shannon Bieste, football coach at McKinley—"

"Oh! Right! Congratulations on the first win of the season last week!" The teacher cleared her throat and placed a hand on Lily's quivering shoulder. "Hey, sweetie. Are you going to stay and have _lots_ of fun with us today?"

She hid herself into Will's neck, crying softly as he crouched down in front of a dollhouse full of her favorite toys.

"Look, baby! Miss Q has Little People! Your favorite!"

The redhead peaked her head up slightly, "Do they have a giraffe?"

Will nodded and reached into a bucket, "Sweetie, there's like ten giraffes in here."

"Ten?" Her brown eyes grew wide and she dared to climb out of his embrace to examine the collection of plastic figures for herself, quickly losing her fright and analyzing the models she'd never seen, lining them up in a way that only made sense to her.

"Do you think you want to play with these for a little while?" Will asked, rubbing her back gently.

Lily quickly snapped around, eyes wide. "Don't leave me!"

"Baby, I just want to talk to Miss Q, I'm not going anywhere," He insisted, standing, only to be quickly gripped by the fierceness of his daughter.

"Lily, I'll sit and play with you," Shannon stepped in, taking her hand and leading her back to the floor where the animals and diverse people were lined so neatly. "Can you tell me about your rows?"

Eager to explain her logic to someone, the toddler gladly chirped about the size and color pattern she'd created while Will snuck away to speak to the preschool teacher.

"I'm sorry I couldn't convince her to stay yesterday," Miss Q quickly apologized, "It's much easier if there's a parent here the first day, but I understand you've got a bit of a predicament? Not that it's any of my business, but often time family troubles at home come into the classroom. As an educator, I'm sure you know that by now."

Will nodded and ran a hand through his curly mop, "Yeah. I do. I'm so sorry. I don't know if you've read through her information, but Lily has OCD, and only last week she was diagnosed with PTSD...there was a car accident, my wife was involved and she needed some time away to recover," He said, not a complete lie, "Lily's just taking it very hard."

"Okay...I'd really like for her to stay today, if possible. Within the first few days here I'm going to have one of our special education instructors and our school psychologist come down and observe her, to see if we can get some special services for Lily. Just from watching yesterday, and even as she plays now, I know that behavior modification is in order. I'd like to get involved as early as possible."

Will felt as if a boulder was lifted off his chest as he agreed whole-heartedly. "That'd be...that'd be great. We tried, this summer...but um," He cracked a few knuckles and shrugged. "It just wasn't working. Hopefully we'll get something set up soon."

"I'll do my best...Now I'm not all about having the parent sneak out of the room while their kid is distracted, so why don't you try saying goodbye to Lily? If we have a meltdown, we have a meltdown. I don't want her traumatized into thinking you won't be coming back."

Will took a deep breath and moved to the alphabet-themed carpet his daughter was sitting on. Gently pulling her into his lap, he kissed her cheek. "Lily, Daddy and Aunt Shannon have to go to work now. I will be back here in three and a half hours. I'll come pick you up, and maybe we'll even sneak a Happy Meal, then you can play gym with Aunt Shannon."

"Daddy," She whined, turning in his arms, "Daddy, no, please stay with me!"

"I can't, baby. I've got to go teach my classes." He ruffled her curls in attempt to calm her.

"Tell Mr. Figgy you want to stay with me!" She cried, holding his collar tightly.

"No, baby," Will laughed lightly, "Mr. Figgins needs me. And I need you to stay here like the big girl you are."

"I want Mommy!" She screamed suddenly, throwing herself to the floor with heavy sobs. "I want to go with you!"

Miss Q rushed over in an attempt to calm the tantrum before the rest of the three-year-olds caught on and became upset as well. "Lily, sweetie, let's go for a walk. Would you like that?"

"No! I want Mommy!"

Will's face fell and he shook his head, recognizing his daughter's stubbornness and signs of making herself sick. "It's no use, she's just going to get sick if she stays. Come on, baby. We're going to call your grandpa."

* * *

The next afternoon, Will threw himself into the sofa face first, grumbling incoherently, leaving his daughter to stare in confusion. "Daddy, why are you talking to the pillow?"

"I'm not talking to the pillow, baby," He murmured, turning to her without opening his eyes. "Daddy's just exhausted." It was days like this one when he wished he had Glee to pour himself into.

"Is it 'cause I've been so bad?" The ginger-hued girl squeaked, pulling her hands together under her chin, "I'm sorry!"

"No, no. I'm just tired, sweetheart. You're fine."

With an instinct for reading his emotions that she had inherited from her mother, Lily announced, "But you're mad, Daddy. I can tell."

He sat up and was prepared to convince Lily that he wasn't upset with her when his phone rang from his pocket, a tone that was set for only one person.

"Mommy's callin'! Daddy! Mommy's callin'!" Lily squealed, jumping up and down, clearly forgetting her distress. "Answer it!"

"You answer it," Will smirked, knowing hearing Lily's voice would likely drive his wife into a fit of hysteria.

"Okay!" She took the phone from his hands and slid her thumb over the _on_ key, already a master of the technology. "Hi, Mommy! I miss you! Come home, please!" She shouted, hearing a gasp at the other end of the line. "Mommy? I love you!"

X

Emma choked on her words as a lump in her throat grew. She'd anticipated getting Will's voicemail, not the desperate pleading of her preschooler. "Hey, Lily," She managed to whisper. "I miss you, too, honey. And I love you very much."

"Are you coming home? Are you five minutes away?"

The mother pressed a hand to her chest, trying to remain in control of her body as the familiar question brought back repressed memories of a two-year-old version of the child she was speaking with.

"_Mamma come home?" Lily looked up at her father from her spot on the floor, tears forming as she was beyond ready for sleep but refused to do so without being snuggled by her mother._

"_Mommy's coming home very soon, baby girl. Why don't we go lay down and wait for her, okay?" Will lifted her but was quickly hit in the nose by her palm. _

"_No! Want Mamma!" _

_With a stern look, Will took her hand and held it tightly. "We do not hit, Lily. And Mommy is on her way, I promise. Let's just go—"_

"_Want Mamma!" She cried, throwing her head back in sleep-deprivation. "Want Mamma!"_

_Will groaned and moved them to his bed, taking his phone out and sighing again when realizing it was well past ten and Lily's bedtime was two and a half hours ago. Dialing the phone quickly and silencing his daughter, Will was relieved when his wife picked up. "Hey Em, you on your way?"_

"_Yeah!" Emma giggled, clearly intoxicated as she'd had ladies' night out with the faculty, which generally involved drinking games with the Bieste. "Why?" She shouted into the phone._

"_You're not driving, are you?" Will asked, concerned. _

"_Will, I'm drunk, not dumb. I'm in a taxi with Shannie."_

_He breathed a sigh of relief, "Okay. Do you think you're in a state to assure your baby that you'll be home shortly?"_

"_I'll always be home for my baby! Give Lily the phone!" Will held the mobile up to his daughter's ear, "Hi, honey, it's Mommy!"_

"_Mamma? Come home!" Lily yelled, "Mamma!"_

"_Baby, sh, sh...it's oaky. Mommy's going to be home in five minutes, I promise, baby, I promise."_

"_Come home?"_

"_Yep, Lily. I'm coming home. I'm five minutes away. That means very, very soon."_

_The baby giggled into the phone and said, "Mamma love!" _

_Emma laughed as well, "I love you, too."_

_Within five minutes time, as promised, Emma stepped into the bedroom, to find Lily teetering from the edge of the bed, waiting eagerly for a hug. Ignoring the world spinning around her, Emma put her night of fun behind her and stretched out her arms to embrace her daughter._

"Baby, I'm not five minutes away. Honey, I'm at Nana and Grandpa's house."

"Are you coming home in a little while?"

"...No, sweetheart." She sighed long, keeping her tears behind her eyelashes. "I need to talk to Daddy."

"No! Mommy, please? I want you to come home! I need you, Mommy!"

At the statement, Emma lost control of the dam keeping her sobs at bay.

"Mommy? Why are you crying? Mommy?" Lily's voice rang loud and concerned until a shuffle and exchange of the cellphone were conducted.

"Hey, Em." Will was surprisingly calm and genuinely concerned sounding. "You alright?"

"No!" She heaved, "No, I'm not alright!"

"Take a few deep breaths." His words were soothing, his rhythmic sounds brought Emma's natural cadence back to a sense of stability. "Keep breathing, you're okay."

"W-Will, I'm so sorry, I—"

Emma was cut off by a heavy sigh. "Emma, it's not all your fault. I was awful to you on the phone a few days ago. I've done a lot of thinking over the last few days, and between the disaster at preschool and the disaster in my head, I don't know how much longer I can stand being away from you."

"You...you want me back?"

Will laughed a little, "I need you back, Em. I'm an unorganized mess without you. I know you think that you being away is helping Lily—"

"—Daddy, I want to talk to Mommy—"

"—Just a second, baby...But Emma, there's nothing I or anyone else here can do to convince her to stay at preschool. There's no methodology I can find to calm her after a meltdown. Maybe that's stifling the progress she can make, but there's no sense in a little girl getting sick all the time...that's not going to help her make progress either. We've got to start fighting the battle before we can even get close to the demons. I know you think you're holding Lily back, but in reality...you're the only one who can guide her forward."

"Will," Emma cried softly, "Will...I just...I'm afraid to come home."

"Why?" His voice was soft, patient. "Tell me why you're scared."

She sniffed loudly, pacing the space from her window to the pale, lavender bed. "I'm scared that everything is going to change...and that I'm going to be back to my same self...that Lily's going to get worse...that you are only going to want me around to help with her," Emma mumbled the last part, being as honest as she could.

X

"Emma, no, Emma...oh my god, no." Will sat up, eyes focused on the three-year-old waiting patiently on the floor in front of him. "You're more than just her mother. You're my wife. And I love you, unconditionally. I'm sorry I snapped at you and told you to stay there. I was angry...and...Emma, I love you. Truly, madly, deeply, and I'd sing that to you, but I don't want to make you cry anymore," He laughed and was at peace to hear her choked giggle as well. "Emma, we both want you back here. If you think you need a few more days, that's fine. I'm not going to try the preschool thing again until you're back, though. Lily needs you for that."

He could tell she was considering her options. "Look, you don't need to decide now. At least take tonight to think on whether or not you need additional time. I understand, Em. I want you back in the best shape you can be, for Lily and myself. Take your time. I've got a little monster here that needs some attention, however. Just call me sometime tomorrow night when you have everything figured out. I love you."

"I-I love you too," Emma stuttered. "Thank you, Will...for everything."

Will bent his head low, nodding with a smirk. "You're welcome, Em."

They mutually hung up and Will lifted his arms out for Lily to jump into. "Mommy's coming home, baby girl. In a few days, she'll be here, okay?"

Lily beamed, "She still loves me?"

He smoothed her hair. "So much, baby. So much. She just needs a few more days to feel better and she's going to come home and be with you."

"Just me?" Will laughed and squeezed her tightly.

"I think she's coming home to see me, too."

"How come we don't visit her at Nana and Grandpa's house?"

"Because, Lily, we can—" He paused his sentence and stood, remembering school wasn't in session for Friday and Monday because of the Labor Day weekend. "We can go see her. We'll go tomorrow night."

* * *

"I am sleepy, Daddy." Lily yawned as they passed their half-way point to Virginia the following evening. It was dawning around the little girl's bedtime, and her constant chatter and whining was grating on Will's nerves as he attempted to stay focused on the road.

"Baby, it is almost bedtime. You could put your blankie over your lap and try to fall asleep."

"But you got to sing me!"

Will pressed the power button on the radio, turning until he found a clear station with a quiet, soothing song he could sing along with.

"Oh, Daddy, this one!" Lily chirped as he fell on a country tune. His lips turned up and he softly sang the verse, an image of his wife coming to mind as he did so, and laughing when Lily joined him on the chorus.

"..._I said I wouldn't call, but I'm a little drunk and I need you now_...Daddy, what's drunk?"

The curly-haired Spanish teacher choked a laugh and cleared his throat, "Don't worry about it. Just close your eyes."

"Is it bad?" She gasped, rubbing at her eyes.

"No...well, yes...not really. Lily, honey, go to sleep."

"Is it when you go to jail?"

"No, Lily," Will puffed, trying to find a child-appropriate way to explain intoxication. "Honey, it's like...it's like when you drink too much juice and your tummy feels full. Only it's a special kind of juice, and it makes you dizzy, like when you spin around in circles. Is that enough for you?"

"Yeah. 'Night, Daddy. I hope we don't get drunk when we drink our orange juice in the morning!"

Will laughed again, "Oh, Lily, I can't see that happening...unless Grandpa's got vodka," He muttered under his breath, watching his princess fall asleep in the rearview mirror.

Taking a moment to listen to the song close, Will pulled off to the side of the road, flipping through his contacts in his cellphone, contemplating turning around.

Emma hadn't called him since their conversation the afternoon previously. He was starting to think that driving to surprise her would mean rushing her into returning home when she wasn't ready.

Drumming his fingers on the wheel, Will decided to make the call.

It wasn't even a full ring before an answer greeted him.

"Hey," Emma's voice rang sweetly through the receiver. "How's it going?"

He smiled to himself and leaned back in the seat. "Alright. Lily just fell asleep...I guess I'm getting needy for some adult conversation."

A sympathetic sigh met his ears. "I'm sorry, Will. Anything...anything you want to talk about in particular?"

"No...no, I'm good. I think I really just wanted to hear the sound of your voice. I miss you. I love you." His inflection was strained as he fought back tears. "Emma, I really do still love you."

Her response was a muffled sob. "Oh, Will...I miss you, too. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"Don't be, Emma. I understand. I really do. I just...I'll see you soon, okay?"

"Will, what—?"

He hung up the phone, cutting her off and eyeing Lily one last time before checking his blind spot extra cautiously before pulling back onto the highway.

* * *

"Sh, sh," Will whispered, rubbing Lily's back and kissing her temple as she stirred in his arms while Linda held the front door open for the two of them around one in the morning when Will finally arrived in Virginia. "Sh, baby, it's okay."

The three-year-old yawned and closed her eyes once more as her grandmother led them to Ed's office, where a sofa had been converted into a bed for the little girl.

She didn't move as Will covered her with a blanket and stroked her curls a few times before returning to the vehicle to grab their bags. When he stepped back into the house, Linda embraced her son-in-law fiercely before nodding to the stairs.

He took them two at a time, pausing with a heavy hand on the door handle of Emma's childhood room. Closing his eyes, Will took a breath and nodded to himself before silently entering the purple abode.

Emma was propped up on top of the comforter, with a quilt over her lap and a book lying open on her stomach, the light from her nightstand casting shadows across her face as Will stepped closer.

Stealthily, he removed her book, and smiled softly when he caught a glimpse of the cover, a book about disciplining children with special needs. After setting it down, he brushed his wife's cheek with the pads of his fingertips, whispering her name.

Emma's eyelids fluttered and she groaned while turning her face towards the pillow her back was against. "Will, it's late..." Then she recognized what she was saying. "Will!" She sat up straight, her large brown eyes burning holes into Will's. "Will!" Her arms were wrapped around his neck before he had a chance to assure her that it was really him. "Oh, Will!"

Tears landed on his shoulder and dripped into his neck, but Will didn't care as he rocked his wife back and forth. "Sh, Emma..." He repeated from comforting his daughter earlier, "Emma, it's alright. I'm here...I'm not going anywhere."

She pulled away and stared at his face, rubbing his chin and letting out a wet laugh, "You need to shave."

He smirked and felt his skin, shrugging before attacking her face and chest with his stubble, nuzzling into Emma, making her giggle and fall back onto the bed, pulling him with her. "How come you drove all the way out here? Not that I don't want you here."

"Because...I love you and couldn't sleep another night alone without you. I know I said I'd give you time, but I guess I'm selfish. I want to be with you. And if Lily asked me one more time when she could see you—"

"She's here?" Emma sat up so quickly the couple smacked foreheads, groaning. "I'm sorry...Ow..."

Will kissed the place where a goose egg was sure to form on her flawless skin. "She's sleeping in you dad's office. No sense in waking her now, you'll see her in the morning."

Emma nodded and Will rolled off of her, laying on his side and stroking her arm. "I've missed you. I'm so sorry for being upset with you."

"You had every right to be, Will. I'm sorry that I took off. That was out of line, and I'll—"

He silenced her with a kiss. "Maybe we should both just apologize and move on."

Emma blinked then nodded again, snuggling her face into his chest. "I love you, Will."

"I love you, too, Em."

* * *

Emma yawned the following morning as the sun peaked in through the blinds of her window. It was well before six, but she knew she wouldn't be sleeping anymore. Her endorphins still had her glowing from the night before. Will was sprawled on the right side of the bed, wearing nothing but a sheet and a glimmer of sweat that hadn't gone away from their activities only hours previous. Carefully sneaking out of the bed, Emma turned the ceiling fan on and found her clothes from the day before to roam around the house in.

After descending the stairs as quietly as possible, the redhead stretched and moved into the kitchen, humming softly until selecting two slices of bread and letting them warm in the toaster.

"Daddy?" She heard a quiet, panicked cry from down the hall. "Daddy?"

"Lily," She breathed, moving with haste to her father's office, flinging the door open to see the confused face of her three-year-old, "Lily!"

"Mommy?" The bitty version of herself shrieked, "Mommy! Is it really you?"

Emma crossed the carpet to sit on the bed, reaching for Lily's face. "Oh, sweetie, it's really me. It's Mommy."

"Mommy!" Lily sobbed and threw her arms around her, "Mommy, please, please don't ever leave me again!"

The older redhead began to cry quietly as well, shaking as she held her daughter as tightly as she could, rocking her comfortingly, kissing her tears and stroking her back. "I won't. Lily Ann, I promise you, I am not leaving ever again."

The two sat in silence for over an hour, Lily clinging to Emma as tightly as possible. When movement in the living room caught Emma's attention, she shifted her daughter to look at her face and wiped all traces of tears from both their cheeks. "Are you hungry, sweetie?"

Lily nodded and the two made their way to the kitchen, where Linda smiled widely at them, reaching for her granddaughter. "Good morning, my little pumpkin!"

The little girl shied away, hiding her face in Emma's neck.

"Oh, did you miss your Mommy, Lil?" The elder Pillsbury rubbed Lily's back while she nodded. "Okay, I'll let you get reunited...I'll throw some eggs on, Em."

"Thanks," Emma mouthed. "Where's the booster seat at?"

"Hall closet, on the floor to the right, dear."

"Mommy, don't go!" Lily shouted when her mother attempted to set her on her feet. "Please!"

"Sweetheart, I'm just going down the hall. You can come with me if you want to."

Lily hugged Emma's leg with a vice grip, rubbing her face on her thigh. "Please, pick me up?"

While at first feeling guilty after leaving the three-year-old alone for a week, Emma shook her head, keeping in mind the tactics for dealing with behavior problems that she'd been reading about. Bending to her daughter's level, she put one hand on the girl's shoulder, looking her square in the eye. "Lily, I am going down the hall. You may come with me, but I am not going to carry you right now. I will carry you later when I'm not getting something."

The smaller of the two redheads blinked slowly, comprehending the deal given by her mother. "Mommy, I want to come with you." She finally said, slowly, as if she weren't sure she understood.

Emma smiled, thankful it had worked, and took Lily's hand, leading them near the front door, where the seat was retrieved and carried to the kitchen.

* * *

"Let's go play outside on the swings!" Lily squeaked later that afternoon as she bounced on Will's frame, waking him up from a nap in a recliner.

"Baby, ask your Mommy to swing with you," He mumbled, pulling a blanket over his face.

Lily deemed the idea appropriate and skipped into her grandparent's bedroom, where Emma was working on putting the final touches of ribbon on a pink wrapped box. "Mommy, is it Nana's birthday?"

"No," Emma giggled, opening her arms for a hug from the preschooler. "This is for someone else. You'll just have to wait and see."

"Okay! Mommy, will you swing with me?"

For the first time ever, Emma agreed. "I would love to swing with you, baby girl."

"Hooray! Come on! Come on!" Lily tugged her mother's hand, leading them through the hallway and out the backdoor. "Oops! I forgot to put on shoes!"

Emma observed both their bare feet and shrugged. "It's okay to go outside with no shoes on, Lily."

The three-year-old appeared apprehensive. "Mommy, the ground is dirty. And what if I step on a bug?"

"You know what, Lily?" Emma smiled brightly and kissed the top of her daughter's head. "You'll wash off. You'll be fine. Do you trust me, sweetheart?"

Lily bit her lip and nodded. "I trust you, I do!"

"Alright. Come on, then."

They stepped off the deck and into the grass, Lily scrunching the cold, green earth between her toes and laughing. "It tickles!"

Emma had to hold back her tears of joy in seeing her daughter so ecstatic about her newfound freedom. Lily skipped in a circle with her hands in the air. She paused, starring into the field that Emma had discovered herself in nearly a week previous. "Can we go on an adventure, Mommy?"

The mother nodded, not correcting her daughter's mispronunciation of adventure. "What kind of adventure, Lil?"

"I want to go over there!" Lily pointed to a shed-like building on the opposite side of the field. "I want to see what's inside!"

"Oh, I don't think there's anything in there anymore. We haven't used that in a long time."

"Can we still go see it?" She begged.

"I suppose," Emma grinned and took Lily's hand, walking them towards the edge of the field. "Ready?" Lily nodded, her curls bouncing as they stepped in together, walking slowly. Emma sighed and squeezed Lily's hand lightly. "I'm glad you're here with me, Lily."

The two took their time reaching the edge of the field, carful to avoid any unsuspecting prickers and weeds. Finally nearing their destination, Lily sprinted in front of her mother, standing on her tiptoes to see inside of a dusted window on the small building. "What is this place, Mommy?"

"It was a playhouse. Your Aunt Annie and I used to play back here with our cousins. Sort of like when you play with JoJo and Kendal."

"And Natalie!" She squeaked, giving mention to her favorite cousin who typically wanted nothing to do with the whiny three-year-old.

"Of course, Natalie, too. We used to pretend this was our own house, and we never let any of the boys in. Uncle Kevin was especially not allowed to come in when we were playing in here!"

Emma squatted to view the inside of the shed-like playhouse, cringing at the layers of dirt and cobwebs that had built up over the years.

"Can I play in there?" Lily questioned, "Can Jo and K'dal and Natalie come, too?"

"No, honey," Emma answered honestly, "It is really gross in there. Lots of bugs and dust and probably mold have taken over in there. You wouldn't want to go in."

"Can we clean it out?"

The elder Schuester lady sighed, keeping her head low. "Lily, I..." Realizing it would be a prime opportunity to put a test to her freedom from her disease, she agreed, thinking through a way to safely go about clearing out the playhouse which hadn't been used in some fifteen years. "Okay. We'll have to go back to the house and put on some shoes, pants, long sleeves and get some cleaning supplies. I don't want us to get hurt or sick in there."

They returned to the house, gathering the supplies they would need for an afternoon of scrubbing. Will gave Emma an eye when she said _cleaning_, but when she revealed the condition of the area she was decontaminating, he understood and didn't try to stop his girls.

Emma heaved a bucket with products and gloves while Lily carried a child-sized broom, galloping with it like it was a horse.

"Alright, Lily. I'm going to go into it first, and make sure there's nothing dangerous. Does that sound okay to you?"

She nodded, and Emma took a calming breath before opening the padlock on the door, about three inches shorter than she was, and slowly peeling it back on it's hinges.

"Is it safe, Mommy?"

"Hang on, let me open the windows," Emma hollered back, pulling on a pair of plastic gloves and entering the place. She cringed at the amount of cobwebs on the ceiling and the warm smell of stale air, but not seeing anything move right away, she mustered up all the courage she had and moved forward, unlocking the hinges on all the windows of the light green building. Using the same key as before, she opened the back door, letting in as much fresh oxygen in as possible. Once she was at the back, Emma opened an electrical box a few feet away, flipping on several switches which would turn the decades-old lightbulbs inside on. Surprised none of the bulbs needed to be replaced, Emma pulled a small flashlight out of her pocket, scanning all of the shelves and corners for living creatures.

"Okay, Lily...bring me the broom, sweetheart. You might want to wait a few minutes for me to get some of the spiderwebs out of here before you come in."

"Here you go!" The three-year-old piped, handing the small device to her mother. "Tell me when the spidey's gone!"

"Yes, Princess," Emma laughed, kissing her temple as she returned to the porch portion of the playhouse.

The mother took a large gulp of air before wincing and knocking the spider's nests down, trying not to shriek as they fell, floating to the ground and narrowly missing the exposed skin of her face. It took a few minutes, but once they were gone and all signs of bugs past were removed from the little home, Lily stepped inside and marveled at the structure. "Mommy, you did a good job!"

"Thanks, baby girl...now, put on a pair of gloves...there you go...and here's what we're going to do..."

The two spent the next several hours washing windows, sponge-scrubbing the grimy, concrete floor, and peeling layers of dust off of the walls.

Lily was wearing out just as the place was nearly clean, giving Emma a chance to step back and marvel at the handiwork which three years ago, would have taken her months to accept was clean. "I think we did very well, Lily. What do you think?"

She yawned and smiled widely. "I think it's beautiful...Can we play in here tomorrow? I'm too sleepy."

"Sure thing...let's just put our cleaning stuff away and close it up for the night."

Once they were done, Lily reached up for a hug and Emma obliged, not caring that their dirty frames were creating more of a mess on one another's clothing. "Thank you for all your help, baby."

"You're welcome, Momma...I love you."

"Oh," Emma squeezed her tight. "I love you, too...now, let's go inside...Daddy and I have a surprise for you."

Lily gasped and pulled away, jumping up and down, "I'm getting a puppy?"

Emma laughed and resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Lily, you've got to get over the puppy. There's never going to be a puppy."

She mock-pouted before bouncing again. "What is it, what is it?"

Her mother took her hand and led them into the house. "We'll eat some dinner and then we'll see what it is."

Once the family was fed and Lily and Emma were free of dust from their afternoon project, the entire unit sat around the couches, watching as Will brought the pink package Emma had been wrapping earlier in the day to the center of the living room floor.

"Would my little girl please step forward?" Will teased, holding his hand out for Lily, who bore a cheesy grin in excitement. "Now, Lily, you know that Mommy and I need you to go to preschool, right?"

At the mention of school, the little girl's smile disappeared and tears pooled in her eyes. "Daddy, no! I don't want to—"

"Sh, sh...baby, it's okay. We're going to get this all figured out."

Emma joined them on the floor, crossing her legs and clearing her throat. "Sweetheart, I'm going to be coming with you to school for the next few weeks." She spoke slowly, explaining the situation in a simple, yet realistic way to the three-year-old. "I called Miss Q and she said that it'll be alright. I'll be in the back of the classroom the whole day if you need me. I'm not going to sit with you, and I'm not going to help you with your projects. I won't play with you, either. But I will be there. And I hope that at some point, you'll be okay and I'll be able to go to work in those mornings while you're at school."

Lily processed the information, eventually nodding. "But you'll be there? You'll stay with me?"

Emma gently touched her daughter's cheek. "I won't leave you until you're ready for me to leave."

The preschooler leaned forward into an embrace, muttering, "Daddy should hug us, too."

Will laughed and joined them, hugging both of the most important people in his life. "Do you want to see what's in the present, Lil?"

She pulled away quickly, grinning and clapping her hands in excitement. "What is it? What is it?" She asked, tearing the paper off and pulling the lid off the box. "Wow! It's a dancer outfit! Oh, it's so pretty! And ballet shoes! Pretty pink!" Lily squealed, pulling leotards, skirts, a bag and shoes out of the box.

"Now, you know the deal, Lily," Will reminded her, leaning back on his palms. "You have to be able to stay in school all day with no meltdowns if you want to go to dance class."

Lily pouted for a moment, then pulled on a tutu and spun around in a circle. "I'll stay in school, Daddy! I promise!"

* * *

Saturday afternoon had Lily wilder than ever. After a tea party in the playhouse, she demanded the family go somewhere outside of the home.

"Honey, there's not a lot of places of us to go," Emma attempted to explain to Lily as she skipped around the living room and into the hallway, a flurry of hyperactivity.

"Let's go for a walk into town!" She yelled from the balcony at the top of the stairs as she summersaulted into what had been Annie's room. Will charged up the stairs, picking his daughter up by the armpits and tossing her in the air, forcing squeals and giggles out of her. "Daddy, let's go!"

"We're in a very tiny town, kiddo. It's even smaller than ours. There aren't a whole lot of things to do," Will sighed, kissing her cheek. "But if you'd like to go into town, I guess we could take you."

"Thank you, Daddy!" She beamed, scrambling down. "I have to get my shoes on!"

Will followed her down the stairs and took his wife's hand, pulling her up and meeting her in a kiss. "I can take her by myself, you don't have to come if you don't want to."

"No, I'll come, of course," She walked towards the front door, toeing on her flip-flops and watching Lily struggle with the buckles on her shoes. "Want some help, sweetheart?"

"No, Mommy! Big girls have to do things all by themselves!"

Emma stepped back and blinked, not prepared for those words to come out of her daughter's mouth, but excited to hear them nonetheless.

Two minutes later, Lily's shoes were strapped and she was turning the handle of the door when Ed and Linda appeared from the kitchen, claiming they'd like to join the Schuester family into town, and that they were going to be meeting up with Annie and Kevin's families at one of the local diners.

The five walked the two miles into town, stopping right away at one of the boutiques which was ran by one of Linda's good friends. "Delilah, you remember her, don't you, dear?" Emma nodded, "Well, she has been begging me to bring my baby granddaughter here for months, if you don't mind, the men can wait out here."

"Oh, that's fine, come on, Lil, let's go inside," Emma smiled at her three-year-old, who grimaced slightly at the thought of meeting someone new. "It'll be alright," Emma whispered, "I'll be right here."

"Linda, oh heavens, is that my Emma? Goodness, how you've grown! Gosh, the last time I saw you, you was only in the middle school. Oh goodness, you're just too much!" Delilah greeted Emma, who attempted to keep her cool as the plump, southern woman kissed her cheek. "And this must be the baby! Hey there, cupcake! If you're not the cutest little thing I've ever seen! Oh my, Linda...I dare say, she's just as precious as a flower!"

Trying not to roll her eyes, the mother of the 'precious flower' lifted Lily onto her hip, who was clearly uncomfortable being fawned over. "You are going to enter her in your town's Little Miss competition, aren't you, Emma? Carry on your legacy? Oh, she's bound to win. There ain't no way she couldn't! Just the cutest little thing, the cutest! Come here, Lily darlin'!" Lily's brown eyes grew wide as Delilah attempted to reach out for her.

"She's quite shy," Linda objected, "She'd prefer it if her mother continued to hold her, I'm sure."

"Oh, that's alright," Delilah ruffled Lily's curls, making the preschooler pout. "Darlin, Emma, come with me now, I'm sure we could find something in this shop that would just be perfect for the next Little Miss!"

"Um, that's alright," Emma said with a shaky breath, "Honestly, I'm not sure we're going to be doing that with Lily, and I really don't have the money to be spending on a pageant—"

"Hogwash!" Delilah placed her hands on her hips. "Do you think I'd charge anything for a sweet little pumpkin like this? No, consider it a gift. Treating the princess like royalty, if you will...ah! Here we go!" The blonde reached forward and lifted a tiara off of a pillow it was resting on. "This is for the princess," Lily giggled as the silver, gem-covered crown was placed on her head, "And of course, she'll be needing a gown! Can't win the grand supreme without it! I have the most perfect cupcake platter skirts back here, if you'll let me know a size?"

"It's really not—" Emma attempted objecting again, trying to explain that she was anti-beauty pageant, but was interrupted by the insistent shopkeeper, "Um, she's wearing a little girls' three right now."

"Aha! I think that blue would just look absolutely charming on her, what about you, Linda?"

The grandmother nodded. "That it would."

"Alright, Lily, dear...what do you think?" Delilah held up an extravagant pageant dress, complete with all the rhinestones a three-year-old could ask for.

"Oh, gosh, I can't just take that, it's too much," Emma attempted to refuse, but Lily stopped her this time.

"It's so _pretty_! Wow!"

The owner gleamed and pressed a kiss to the little girl's cheek. "Let me get this wrapped up for you ladies. Oh, Lily, go ahead and pick a wand and a bear from that back wall! Every grand supreme gets her prize!"

She scrambled from Emma's arms and stared at a row of teddy bears and fairy wands, eyes wide with the power to make the best decision.

"Thank you, so much," Emma said quietly to the blue-eyed woman. "I don't know how—"

"Nonsense," Delilah slurred, "Darlin' anything I can do to help a winner! I know a winning Little Miss when I see one!"

Emma cringed, as she was horribly opposed to the idea of placing her preschooler in a beauty contest, but kept her silence as Lily ran to the front, shouting a million 'thank you's to Delilah.

Once they finally made it out of the shop, Linda burst into laughter while her daughter glared her down. "Not what I had in mind, Mom."

"Oh please, dear. You just got your daughter a three thousand dollar dress for free. You remember winning the Little Miss pageant, don't you? You liked it! Enter Lily next summer, you never know what could come of it. Don't complain, hon. Alright, men, to Sarah's!"

The family walked to the diner, Will with a smirk of satisfaction on his face with the knowledge that he now had the resources to place his daughter in the Little Miss Lima competition in the summer, something he'd wanted to do since she was born. "What?" He asked as Emma gave him a dangerous look. "We know she's a little princess. Shouldn't the rest of the town, too?"

She didn't respond as they arrived at the restaurant and were tackled by their nieces and nephews who were waiting outside with their parents.

"Annie!" Emma smiled again when she caught sight of her sister pacing towards her with open arms.

"Feeling better?" She asked, kissing her sister's cheek and hugging her tightly.

"Yeah, yeah, I really am."

All eight kids and adults moved inside, enjoying a noisy meal and one another's company. As it was ending, Kevin motioned for Emma to step aside with him.

"So, Em...well, we're taking the kids to Uncle Robby's Farm after this...you know..._the_ dairy farm. I wanted to invite Lily, and since you're making so much progress...I thought now might be a good time to go back and face...what I did to you. I want to be there, with you...and just..."

Emma mulled the idea over with crossed arms, eventually clearing her throat and shrugging. "I've come this far."

Her older brother smiled and pulled her into a hug. "We're going to face this, together, Em. You've got me, your sister, parents, husband and kid all here to support you. You're going to get through it.

* * *

Emma's stomach was in nervous knots as they struggled up the hilly roads in a caravan of her sibling's vans. "You're alright," Linda rubbed her shoulder. "Honey, we're all going to be there for you."

Within twenty minutes they'd arrived, and the youngest of the Pillsbury siblings had never felt more terrified to see a herd of cows.

Will opened the van door and helped his wife step out, hugging her close as the overpowering odor of manure hit her nose. "Take it easy," He murmured, releasing her waist and picking up Lily. "We're going to do this, alright? It's okay...Don't be afraid, Em."

"Mommy, are moo cow's scary?" Lily asked.

The truth was, they were. For Emma, this was the last fear she had to face. "Um, you know what, Lily? Moo cows are, in fact, _not_ scary. Mommy just has a, uh...silly little fear with them."

"Oh, Mommy! It's okay! I'm scared of lots of things! Like school!"

She didn't respond as they walked through the entrance of the barn, Will kept to her right, Kevin on her left, and Annie in front, with her parents and the clan of children behind them.

Uncle Robby, a large, rednecked man who was a cousin of Linda, stepped out to greet his extended family. "How ya'll doin? Emmie? That you? Weren't ever 'xpectin to see ya here again."

She shrugged and cringed. "Things change."

"I'd hoped so fer a long time, darlin'...well, fer the kids who ain't never been to Uncle Robby's, welcome...if you'll come with me, I'll give ya the tour..."

The nieces and nephews went with Kevin's wife, Leah, and Annie's husband, Sam, while the rest of the family walked slowly to the site of Emma's initial anxiety episode.

Her throat was closing with unshed tears as they drew closer and the smell became stronger. The silence was giving Lily the impression that something important was happening, making her anxious. "Mommy, I don't want to go here," She peeped.

Emma couldn't speak, but shook her head, giving nonverbal directions to Linda to remove her daughter from the scene.

Once the two were gone, Emma fell to her knees, crying.

"Em, honey..." Will sat next to her, taking her hands away from their clasped position around her nose. "We haven't even gotten there yet...it's alright, come on, sweetheart..." He tried lifting her up, but she shook her head, composing herself enough to make a brief statement.

"I-I need...I need time."

"Okay. Take all the time you need, Emmie," Kevin offered his sister anything she needed. "If you want to do this alone—"

"No! No...No...please...stay..." She looked up at her sister and father, who were both waiting for her next move. "Okay...let's...let's move on."

They walked further through the maze of cows, mooing and glaring hard at Emma, who shook her head, trying to keep her cool. It wasn't long before they opened the door, and the group of five made their way down a small path.

Emma paused again as the smell grew closer. Suddenly feeling overwhelmed, she turned to the grass and released the contents of her lunch, heaving and placing her hands on her knees.

Will rubbed her back, "We can go—"

"No...no, I'm okay...I'm really okay," Emma took a few deep breaths, taking a sip of the water bottle that her sister pulled from her purse. "Okay, alright...time...time to do this."

She took each Will and Kevin's hands, walking towards the fence on the edge of the path that led to the runoff lagoon. She closed her eyes, only opening them when the trio was right in front of the place she'd lost her sanity in.

"That's disgusting," She shuddered, gaging a few times before regaining her composure. "I'm okay, I'm okay...it's just...it's just..." Suddenly, Emma began laughing, facing her brother. "It's just cow shit. I've been...walking around like a crazy person...for how many years...because of cow shit? Oh my god..." She placed her head in her hands, laughing again, "Oh my god! It's just cow shit!"

Kevin hugged his sister as tightly as he could, not caring that she was covering his shirt in happy tears. "It is just cow shit, Emmie...that's all it is...Just cow shit." He released her and she hit him on the shoulder. "I guess I deserve that, huh?"

"Yeah...you do," Ed commented from behind them, his arms open for Emma to throw herself into. "It's just cow shit, ladybug. Just stinky, disgusting, cow shit."

After enough time for closure was given, the five met back up with the rest of the family, Will holding Emma's hand as tightly as he could, without words in astonished recognition of her progress.

It wasn't long after the yogurt tasting that the group left, quiet on the car ride home. Kevin dropped the Schuester's and his parents off at their house, giving them a few quiet hours to spend together before heading to bed early to be on the road in the morning.

Ed and Linda sat in the love seat while Will, Emma and Lily snuggled on the sofa, all taking in the warmth of one another's presence.

"I'm so proud of you, Emma," Linda said softly, shaking her head. "So proud. Of everything. Of this entire journey you've been on. You probably still have a little ways to go, not to disregard the progress you've made...but you're better, dear...you're finally better."

Emma flushed and turned into Will's chest. "Thanks, Mom...I'm proud of me, too."

* * *

"Ready?" Emma was crouched at Lily's height in front of her preschool classroom on Tuesday morning, trying to meet her eyes. "Lily, look at me, baby..." The three-year-old's face was scrunching in the signs of an impending meltdown, but her mother was set on preventing it. "No, no...no tears, honey. Look, the class is already started. We'll go in, you'll take a spot in the circle, and I will stand in the back, okay? I'll be right there. I'm not going _anywhere_."

"Mommy," She whimpered, leaning in for a hug.

After receiving it, Emma stood and took her daughter's hand, silently leading them into the classroom. Her peers, including Scott, were settled around a blue carpet, each on a separate letter. There was one letter left.

"Look, Lil! They left the 'L' open just for you! Go on," Emma whispered, kissing her cheek and pushing her gently forward.

Lily shook her head again, but Miss Q sat in the front, with a big smile on her face. "Good morning Lily! Friends, can you all say hello to Lily?" The class gave a chorus of greetings and Miss Q pointed to the 'L,' "We saved you a spot right on the 'L,' kiddo. How about you take your seat and we'll start by singing the Good Morning song!"

It took Lily a few minutes to sit down, and when she did, she was planted firmly behind the rug, not a part of the circle.

Emma bit her thumb in the back of the classroom, unsure if she should intervene. Lily would likely participate if she were on her mother's lap...but she felt that may be overstepping her boundaries. "Mrs. Schuester, would you like to join us in the circle?" Miss Q nodded Emma over, as if reading her thoughts. Emma nodded back, glad she'd chosen some stylish skinny jeans instead of a skirt to wear for the day as she sat 'criss-cross-applesauce' on the rug, smiling at Scott who gave her a wave. Lily quickly sat in her lap, folding her hands in her lap.

Lily watched the students as they participated in circle time, and Emma did her best to attempt to get her to join the rest of the children. She smiled in the last moments when Miss Q started to sing a tune that the three-year-old was very familiar with, and Lily quietly finished with her, "Mister sun, sun, mister golden sun, please shine down on me!"

Emma kissed her cheek and whispered, "That's very nice of you to participate in class."

The day carried on, with Emma leading Lily into her activities, guiding her, giving reassuring praise as often as she could.

"Can we go see Daddy?" Lily begged Emma as they left the preschool after successfully completing her first day.

Emma lifted the three-year-old into the car, strapping her safely into her car seat. "We could, but just for today. We're not going to see him everyday after school, okay?"

"But it's just up the road, Mommy!" She huffed, pouting.

"Do you not want to go at all?" Emma raised a brow, keeping control over the situation.

Tears welled in her eyes. "Mommy!"

"Lily. I'm not arguing," Emma's tone lowered, causing the little girl to shrink. "I will take you today, but we're not going every single day after school. Understand?"

"Okay," She muttered, "I'm sorry."

The mother's tone softened, "That's better. Ready to go?" Lily nodded and Emma kissed the top of her head, closing the door and driving the short distance to McKinley.

Emma didn't have a chance to sign into the office when they entered the building, as Lily tore through the hallway at full speed, sprinting to Will's classroom and throwing the door open, attacking his legs, catching him and the entire class off guard. "Daddy, I stayed the whole day! And I only cried three times!"

Will blinked and shook his head, apologizing to the class in Spanish. "Lily, how did you get here?"

Emma stepped into the doorway, winded from chasing her daughter. "Sorry," She breathed. "Honey, you can't just...oh, hello kids," She laughed nervously upon seeing the students confusion. "Lily, come on let's go wait in my office."

"It's fine," Will lifted his daughter onto his hip and explained to the class, "We've got two minutes, anyway. You guys can talk quietly while staying in your seats."

Lily squeezed his neck and Will walked Emma to his desk, where she threw herself into his seat, clearly embarrassed. "Sorry, I didn't want to interrupt."

He shrugged. "It's really fine. We were just about finished. How was your first day, baby girl?" He asked, kissing Lily's temple.

"Um, it was okay."

"What did you do?" Will questioned, trying to probe her to talk about the positive aspects of her school day.

"We sat in a circle. And colored. And Mommy helped me play Little People with Scott and another boy. His name was Tommy. He sneezed on me and I cried."

Emma shook her head, trying not to laugh. "Oh, honey, he didn't mean it..." She paused as the bell rang and the classroom emptied out. "Want to get some lunch?"

Will nodded and offered her a hand, walking the family to the cafeteria, finding a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for both his girls, making both of their faces light up.

They settled down in the teachers lounge, Lily boosted in a chair on a stack of books. Will cut the crust off her sandwich and stuck a straw in a juice box, asking, "What was your favorite part of preschool?"

Lily munched on a carrot from Will's lunch, thinking. "When we left, and Scottie gave me a big hug!"

Emma groaned and leaned her face into her palms. "Oh, Lily...wasn't there anything fun during the school day?"

She shrugged, "Daddy are you comin' home with us?"

"Baby, I have to teach," He shook his head. "But, you stayed at school, so when I do get home, I'm going to take you to dance class."

Her face brightened and she bounced in her seat. "Mommy, will you come, too?"

Emma took Lily's hand. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

* * *

Before Lily's first dance class that night, Emma had an appointment with the therapist that her daughter had been seeing. She was nervous about seeing the woman, afraid that Dr. Laura would question whether or not Emma really had a handle on her OCD. But when she was called back, the guidance counselor told herself not to let the therapist's opinion eat away at her.

"Hello, Emma." Dr. Laura bore a smile. Usually, the mere sight of the mousey-haired psychologist had Emma on edge, but now that her daughter wasn't the patient, she seemed to have a milder view of her.

"Hello, Dr. Laura...um, I just want you to know that I'm here for myself, not my daughter. Lily won't be coming anymore."

"Oh, I know." She continued to smile. "Have a seat and explain to me exactly what happened after the last time you were in my office?"

Emma told the story of the car accident, the hospital, Lily's PTSD diagnosis, of running away, of finding herself, and of reuniting with her husband and daughter.

"So...you think you're better? That you've found the trigger to your OCD? How have your levels of anxiety been?"

"Well," Emma sat up straight, trying to maintain eye-contact with Dr. Laura. "I really do think that I'm better. I know that I'll always have OCD...but I think...breaking away, running through the mud, facing the place that caused all the stress in the first place...I overcame some of the hardest parts of it all. I just feel...I feel so free. For the first time in my life, I can walk outside without a pair of shoes on...I can leave the sheets on my bed for more than a week...I just...I don't feel controlled by my anxiety anymore. Sure, it's still there...but it's not taking over my life."

Dr. Laura nodded, scribbling down a few notes on a pad of paper. "Emma, I hope you can maintain this level of control. Just know that there are stress-inducing events that may bring your OCD symptoms to the front of your life...But I think that given you've done this all on your own...you've made tremendous progress. And I'm very proud of you."

Emma grinned, agreeing wholeheartedly.

* * *

Six weeks later, the last that Emma was supposed to be off work, Lily was moving around her classroom independently, with Emma staying merely for the sake of her unpredictable meltdowns. Thankfully, the distress levels were decreasing with each day.

"Mommy, can we please go to see Daddy?" She asked as she did every day after school.

"No, Mommy's not feeling well," Emma groaned, "We're going to stop at the store and then I'll make you lunch at home, okay?"

"Will you play with me outside?"

Emma's hand fell to her stomach, which had churned itself into tangled knots. "We'll see. I'm going to have you take a nap after lunch—"

"Mommy!" Lily complained as they drove through Lima, "I don't want to take a nap!"

"It's not something I'm going to argue about with you, Lily. We're going to stop by the store, eat lunch and lay down."

"But I—"

Emma's eyebrows twitched in frustration. "Enough," She said sternly, making eye contact with her daughter in the rearview mirror, making the three-year-old shrink.

"Sorry," Lily muttered, her thumbs rubbing together. "Sorry, Mommy."

Sighing, the older redhead swallowed, keeping her eyes intently focused on the road, still cautious after the accident. Pulling into a drugstore, Emma took a deep breath and released Lily from her seat, carrying the three-year-old inside and taking cautious steps to the family planning isle.

"Mommy, what's that?" Lily questioned as her mother picked up a cardboard box.

"Don't worry about it, sweetie." Distracting her, Emma asked, "Do you want a new coloring book to work on this afternoon?"

"Oh, yes please!"

The drive home had Emma's nerves tingling, and once they moved through the hallway, she directed Lily to wait while she used the bathroom.

With shaking fingers, she opened the box, discretely placing it in garbage can. Using the item was much easier than the last time she needed one, nearly four years previous. Her handle on her anxiety allowed her to keep calm.

Placing the item on a stack of paper towel, Emma washed her hands and brought her daughter into the kitchen to help prepare lunch. Once Lily was happily chewing her pasta, the mother raced to her bathroom to see the results.

As she expected, a tiny positive symbol greeted her on the white stick which lay on the counter.

In seven months, the Schuester's would turn into a family of four.

* * *

Oh, I just like to update me' fics every five months or so.

If you're still reading this,** thank you** for the continued support! Hopefully you're still enjoying the journey.

One more chapter to go! And then a third _Beautiful_ fic? More on that next time (hopefully it won't be half a year).


	11. Chapter Eleven

There weren't words to describe Will's shock when Emma tilted her head and gave him her sweetest, most innocent smile, whispering, "We're going to have a baby."

The response he'd given apparently wasn't what she was expecting when he blinked slowly, processing the statement she'd made. "What...do you mean...we're having a baby?"

She giggled and took his hand, placing it over her stomach. "We're going to have another baby, Will. I took two pregnancy tests to confirm it. I'd been feeling horrible the past few days...and I remembered the feeling from the first few months with Lily."

Will pressed his lips together and shook his head, confused and slightly angered; feeling as though his wife had gone behind his back. "Emma...I...I thought you went back on your birth control after the accident."

Her face fell as the sentence left his mouth. She stuttered, unsure of what to say, having expected to be immersed in his embrace and kissed until her lips were numb. "I-I...Will, I..."

He brushed past her, moving to the hallway, walking slowly before turning around and shaking his head, trying to find something to say. When he failed, he continued moving away from Emma.

She swallowed hard, staring at her stomach, which had not yet swollen. "I'm sorry," She whispered, not sure who she was addressing, "I'm sorry."

* * *

"Daddy, why is Mommy crying?" Lily questioned as her mother stood up from the dinner table after a sudden wave of tears came over her several weeks after she'd discovered the pregnancy.

Will scratched his head, cringing slightly and shrugging. They were going to the OBGYN in the following afternoon, and to say he was dreading it would have been an understatement. "Don't worry about it, Lil," He replied, turning his attention back to his plate.

The three-year-old escaped from her chair before Will could stop her, scampering down the hall and cautiously opening Emma's bedroom door. "Mommy?"

Emma's head snapped up from her spot on the bench of her window seat, not having expected to see her daughter. "Lily, go eat dinner, sweetheart."

Lily pouted, creeping across the carpet until she was at her mother's feet. "Mommy, why are you crying? Was I a bad girl?"

"No, no, you've done nothing wrong," Emma sniffed, picking her up and hugging the preschooler tight in her lap. "Mommy's just...just having a bad day."

"Why?" Lily begged to know, unease at seeing her mother in distress.

"Don't worry, I'm going to be okay. Don't worry."

Emma felt like she was assuring herself more than her daughter, but straightened up, wiping her tears with the sleeve of her sweatshirt, and returned to the table where Will was still sitting, one hand supporting his forehead.

"Can we not do this now," He hissed, eyeing their three-year-old who pulled herself back into a seated position as well.

"Do what?" She snapped. "Argue? It's something she'll have to get used to if you continue to be unsupportive of this!"

Will moved his hand to the edge of the table, gripping it fiercely. "This is not the time."

Emma tilted her head, a wall of sardonic anger rising in front of her, taking over to protect her against her true feelings. "Oh, and when would be a good time for you, Will? Because I've tried to talk about this with you. I've _tried_," Her voice cracked as she was beginning to lose her defenses, "I've tried so damn hard to make things work...It's been two months and we're still in the same mess we've been in all summer. You have to accept this! It's not something we can control! It's going to be a part of our lives for the better part of eighteen years, and I—"

"You caused this entire mess!" He shouted, leaping to his feet and turning in a circle, pacing in anger while running his hands through his hair to attempt to keep some level of cool. Catching sight of his three-year-old, with wide eyes and a panic stricken expression, Will took a deep breath, lifting Lily from her seat, causing her to cry. "Sh, sh, sweetheart," He gently muttered into her ear before placing her on her feet. "Please go to your room for a little bit while Mommy and I talk."

"D-Daddy," Lily heaved, crying loudly, "I'm a bad girl! I'm sorry!"

"No, no," Emma moved as quickly as Will had to comfort their child. "Honey, you're not in trouble. Not by any means. Please, just take some time and play in your room, okay?"

Her lower lip trembled, but Lily did as told, sulking to her pink bedroom, closing the door and likely throwing herself to the floor in tears. Emma bit back a sob at the thought and faced her husband with rage-filled eyes. "How could you do this to her?"

"Me?" He yelled, outraged, "Emma, _you_ decided to go off the pills. You'd been planing it for months. Then you lied to me and now...now you're pregnant."

"You wanted it in the first place!" Her vision was clouded in tears, but Emma refused to stop advocating for the life inside of her. "You're the one, who in June sat down on that swing outside, and asked me when I'd be ready for another child. Because you were ready for another—"

"In June, yes. You weren't ready Emma, and I...I respected that. Now, you know I wasn't ready, and not just for me. We discussed this, Emma. That Lily needs to make significant progress before we even consider bringing another child into the world!"

Emma tossed her hands up, tears rolling down her cheeks. "Fine. That's what we agreed upon, yep. But that's not what's happening, is it? Will, we're going to have a new baby by the end of the school year."

Will rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest while Emma fumed. "And in that, you're going to lose all progress that Lily's made...not that she's made—"

"Don't you _dare_ say that she hasn't made any progress, Will!" She was seething at this point, showing a stronger side of Emma than Will had ever seen before. "Our daughter has made exponential progress. And she's getting better every day. You're her father, and I'll be damned if—"

Will lowered the finger that Emma was pointing at him, blinking away his own tears of anger, "She hasn't made _enough_ progress, especially to handle a sibling. She needs to go back to therapy, and—"

"Like hell she's going back to that place," Emma shouted, pulling her hand away from Will's body and shaking her head, stamping her foot. "That's not even what we're arguing about! You're acting like—"

"Enough!" Finally, Will snapped, stepping backwards. "I'm done. Talking. About this. About the pregnancy, about therapy. I'm going..."

"Where? Where are you going?" Emma cried, eyes opening and closing at a rapid rate, her heartbeat running wild with anxiety she hadn't felt in over a month. "Will?"

He stormed down the hallway, into their bedroom, throwing a few items onto his bed. "I'm going to my dad's. Running away, just like you did when things got tough."

"Will! You can't." Tears fell like rain from her lower lashes as she blubbered, "You can't leave me like this!"

A few dress shirts, ties, and pants were crammed into a small duffle bag while Will ruffled through drawers in their bathroom, taking only the essentials with him. After pushing past his wife in the door way, he paused in front of Lily's room, opening the door to find her anxiety-ridden face staring hard at him. "Daddy?" She croaked, noticing his bag. "Are you leavin'?"

He bent down, kissing her forehead and wiping away her tears. "I love you, Lily." Moving to the garage door, he swiped his keys from a shelf and took off Emma's old green Volvo they kept for times when Lily wouldn't be in the vehicle.

Emma heard the car fly down the street and sunk to her knees, burring her face in her arms. Lily approached her, fearfully, her tiny chest heaving. "Mommy? I'm so sorry!" She uttered, falling forward onto her knees.

Emma slid forward, lifting her daughter into her lap, kissing her cheeks repeatedly and whispering, "Don't be sorry, Lily...Don't you be sorry."

* * *

Emma kept Lily home from school the following morning, calling into work and claiming the little girl was sick. She knew Lily was far too upset to attend preschool without a total meltdown, and she wasn't sure she'd be able to give any worthwhile advice to brooding teenagers who would have sat in her office.

Lily was still sleeping, next to where Emma had been in the master bed. The sleeping space had felt much too large without Will, and after her daughter woke up screaming halfway through the night, Emma felt that having the preschooler next to her would be a great deal of comfort to them both.

On one hand, she couldn't blame Will for leaving. He must have felt the same unfamiliar sense of loss over the summer, everywhere he turned in the house. She'd known exactly what she was doing for the past few months, and in a way, Emma had lied to Will.

However, a second baby was something she knew he wanted. Maybe the timing was off, but it was something he'd been discussing for over a year. She was giving it to him. He couldn't stay mad forever. Emma closed her eyes and shook her head for a moment to clear her mind of the thoughts that Will may not get over her messing up this time. He'd have to. She needed him. And she knew that he needed her just as badly.

She woke her daughter up and fixed her breakfast, dressing her in a pair of brown leggings and a red-fall themed jumper. "When am I going to Papa's?" Lily asked as Emma pulled her hair into a high bun on the top of her head, adding a ribbon around the clump of curly, ginger hair.

Emma cringed. The original plan for the day was to take Lily to her father-in-law's house while she and Will went to the OBGYN, but Will was already there, and she had a feeling he wouldn't be joining her in the first visit regarding their second child's life.

"I think I'm going to call someone else to watch you when I go to the doctor later, honey."

"Can I just come with you?" Lily pleaded, turning around while Emma stood off the sofa, meeting the large, brown eyes of her firstborn.

"No, baby. I'm going to make a few phone calls and get something figured out." She cupped Lily's cheek, giving her a sad smile. "Don't be sad, okay? We're going to figure it all out." After a few minutes of finding an available sitter, Emma declared, "How does playing at Aunt Terri's sound, Lil?"

The curly haired girl bounced in excitement, "Can I go now? Are you coming over, too?"

"We'll leave after you take a nap today. What would you like to do until then?"

"Can we make cookies?"

Emma stepped into the kitchen, searching through cupboards to ensure they had the proper amount of supplies. "I think we could do that," She grinned, lifting Lily onto the kitchen island, placing a mixing bowl next to her. "Do you remember how many eggs we use?"

"Two!" Lily shouted, demonstrating the number with her index and middle finger. "And two cups of chocolate chips!"

Emma nodded, "You're so smart!" She pulled out the measuring cups and asked Lily which one was the size they'd need. She picked the largest one and Emma pressed a kiss to her cheek. "Good job. Can you measure it out for me?"

They continued, stirring and mixing, Emma occasionally guiding Lily's hand in helping to scoop or stir. But for the most part, the three-year-old had made the batter by herself. "I did it! Mommy, I did a good job?" She questioned, needing reassurance.

"You did a fantastic job, sweetheart. We'll pop these in the oven and maybe even sneak one before lunch," She winked, making Lily giggle while she set the baking sheet in the stove and turned the timer on. "Now let's clean up. Can you help me wash dishes?"

Emma really didn't understand how Lily could function so well, so 'normally' when it was just the two of them. She sighed while observing the little girl pour a small amount of dish soap into a bucket in the sink, letting the warm water run as she'd seen her mother do a thousand times before. It was frustrating to say the least, that Emma knew how well her daughter could behave; but once she was outside of her element, all hell broke loose. Emma wanted nothing more than to take Lily and keep her sheltered forever, letting her be as carefree as she wanted.

Knowing it was far beyond the scope of reality, Emma helped the younger redhead scrub the materials they'd used for baking, then rinsed and placed them in the drying rack. "Thank you so much for your help," She complimented after the counters were clean. "I appreciate it."

"Can we watch a movie?" Lily chirped, cautiously climbing down from the stool she'd been kneeling on.

"Sure...go pick one out," Emma agreed, silently praying they wouldn't be watching a princess for the uptight time that month.

"Can we watch Baby Lily movies?" The preschooler asked, holding up a stack of jewel cases with her picture and neat, sharpie print of the event on each one.

"That sounds like a good idea." After loading the DVD player, Emma pulled Lily into her lap, kissing the top of her head and leaning against the sofa as memories played before her.

The title screen of the first movie read, Lily, Six Months, Christmas

Emma cringed. She did not look upon Lily's first Christmas with fond memories. The entire week leading up to it had been a disaster, yet, as she contemplated, it was one that she and Will had worked through together, better than either of them had in the past. It was a time in which the couple was struggling, yet managed to work together in spite of their circumstances.

* * *

_Lily's first Christmas was not full of happy memories._

_The year before her birth, both parents had imagined cuddling their six-month-old in front of the fireplace at Emma's parents house on Christmas Eve; not sitting in the waiting room of a nearly empty emergency room._

_Will called Emma on his lunch break, as he did every day of the week. Once she'd been released from the hospital a month prior, he'd made sure to devote plenty of attention to his wife throughout the day; both to keep her spirits up while she was stuck at home with Lily for another few weeks, but mostly to hear the sound of her voice. He genuinely missed not being able to sneak down to her office for a kiss between classes, or sit across from her at lunch._

_He wasn't surprised when Emma answered the phone with a very sleepy, "Hey," followed by a yawn. Lily had been fussing throughout most of the night, for reasons unknown, the baby hadn't finally closed her eyes to sleep until well past four in the morning._

"Sorry, Em...were you napping?"

She yawned again, "Yeah, but it's okay...it's been, gosh, it's been since you left this morning...she...she hasn't woken me up...I'm going to check on her right now," The redhead quickly gained the coordination needed to shuffle down the hall to the nursery, "She was so unbearably whiny last night. You're lucky you had a meeting this morning. This wasn't just fussing, this was whining. It was..." Emma trailed off upon seeing her six-month-old with a red face and tears dried to her face, but not crying. "Hang on, Will." She quickly put the phone on speaker and rested it on the changing table as she lifted the clearly upset infant from her crib. "Baby girl, what's wrong?"

"Is she alright?" The panicked voice of Will rang through the room and Emma sighed.

"It looks like she's been crying for awhile...I had the monitor on...Either I didn't hear it or she did a pretty good job of staying quiet..." She snuggled the little girl close, smiling sadly when she hid her flushed face in Emma's neck. "I'm sorry, baby...I'm sorry."

"Don't feel guilty, Em...I'm sure she was fine. Just wanted some attention, as always."

Emma hurriedly changed Lily's diaper, dressing her in a fresh set of cotton pajamas with little white sheep on them. "There we go...was that it, hm?"

"She's probably hungry, too. Unless you fed her after I gave her a bottle around midnight..."

"Oh, goodness." Emma cringed, settling herself and the baby into the pink glider in the corner of the room. "How did you not scream your little heart out, baby girl? I'm sorry..."

Yet as Emma positioned Lily in a cradle hold, the little girl turned away from her chest, clearly not interested in eating. "Actually, she's not hungry," Emma said, puzzled, repositioning her tank top and setting the baby directly in the center of her lap, meeting her sleepy gaze. "Lily..."

"Maybe she's cutting more teeth?" Will offered as Emma pressed a kiss to her daughter's forehead.

"She's warm...probably running a fever..." She mused, working the tiny pair of lips open with her finger to rub the tip along her puffy gums. "I don't feel anything new, but maybe it hasn't broken through the surface yet...I'm going to take her temperature."

Emma set Lily on the floor for only the briefest of moments as she searched for the thermometer in her nearly organized shelves of the changing table, twisting when she heard a whimper as Lily's arms were in the air seeking her comfort.

"Oh, Lil..." She sighed while pulling the plastic gauge from its basket and meeting her on the floor, pulling the tiny redhead into her lap and placing the pointed end of the device in her ear, pressing a kiss to her hot temple.

"What's the verdict?"

"Oh, she's just got a little fever...judging from the fussing last night, I'd say we're cutting more teeth. I think that's normal at this time...right?"

Will chuckled a little from the other end of the line, "Hell if I know, Em. I could Google it for you if you'd like me to—"

"No, it's fine. I'll check once I've gotten her to eat something. And then I'll numb her up. I just feel bad that she's probably been up for awhile."

"Don't feel bad, sweetheart. If Lily really needed you I'm sure she'd have let you know."

Emma smiled softly and kissed her baby's face again before picking her and the phone up and walking them to the kitchen. "I suppose...I wish you were here. Or I were there."

Will laughed a bit once more, "Honey, you say that every day."

"I know," She pouted, moving Lily to a hip so she could wrestle a can of baby food out of the cupboard, as they'd begun introducing real foods to the infant a few weeks prior. "You know, if she's not going to eat from me, she probably isn't going to eat this mushy stuff. Since she refuses it most of the time anyway..."

"Em...Don't worry about wasting food. Let Lily decide. That's what coupons are for."

Sighing, she set Lily up in a high chair, earning a great deal of fussing as she did so. "Will..." Emma groaned, turning away from her child and breathing deeply.

"Don't get stressed out. You're fine, Em. You're doing great. Baby's just a little fussy — it's nothing you can't handle. Take a couple deep breaths and count down from ten if you need to."

Emma did so, then sighed, "I wish you were here," She looked up, ignoring the whining behind her. "When you get home, let's get real cozy."

"Sounds good," Will chirped. "Alright, I've got to go run off a few things before my next class. You going to be alright by yourself?"

Emma sighed again. "I guess. Yeah, I'll be fine. I love you."

"Love you too, Em. I'll see you in just a little bit. If you think Lil's getting sicker, call me and we'll get her to the doctor, okay?"

"Okay. See you in a little while." Ending the conversation, Emma counted to ten once more, keeping herself in check before turning back to Lily, who sat with blurry eyes, a red face and a runny nose. "Oh, yuck, baby. You've got boogies. Let's get you cleaned up. You know what I bet would help? A warm bath. What do you think? Then we're going to eat for sure, got it?"

Naturally, Lily didn't respond verbally, but once she was held, the little girl molded herself against her mother's body.

After a warm bath with calming baby scents, Emma wrapped Lily in the warmest fleece pajamas the little girl owned and got them both snuggled on her bed, encouraging the baby to eat.

"So what's wrong with you, baby girl? It's almost Christmas! We're going to see Grandma and Papa. We can't have you acting like this, hm? Ten hours in the car is not going to be fun if you're crabbing the whole way."

She brushed wispy red hair off her baby's forehead, continuing to have a one-sided conversation as Lily nursed. "I don't want to sound selfish, but I'd really like to go to Virginia. So if you could perk up for a few days, that would be really great." Lily turned away from her chest and Emma burped her, continuing to rub her back after she'd expelled her gasses. "How about you take a little nap since you've been up for awhile, then I can eat something and take a shower? Does that sound fair?"

Emma pressed her lips together upon not receiving any sort of emotional response from the six-month-old, who typically babbled constantly. Kissing Lily's forehead again, Emma sighed. "Oh, you're really warm. I guess I should get you some medicine, hm?"

After dispensing the appropriate amount of baby Tylenol to Lily, Emma rested her in her crib, turning out the light and cringing when a hoarse cry met her ears upon leaving the room. "Baby," She sighed, rubbing Lily's stomach to soothe her distress. "Okay, you can sit with me while I eat. But I'm drawing the line on the shower."

She quieted immediately and Emma pushed her baby swing from the living room to the kitchen, hoping the baby would doze off in proximity to her.

As predicted, Lily slept while her mother fixed herself something to eat and prepared a few things for dinner while she was at it. Opting for not moving her daughter from her clearly comfy resting place, Emma took a quick shower and threw on one of Will's t-shirts and a pair of yoga pants when she finished.

"Hey, Em...How's my baby?" Will asked upon entering the front hall shortly there after, meeting his wife in a sweet kiss.

"She's sleeping in her swing...which is in the kitchen since I was cooking. She's just fussing. Her fever came down after I gave her some Tylenol. I think it's teeth again...should make for a fun trip next week," Emma sighed, hugging Will's body close to hers.

"Hm," He hummed into her hair, scratching along her back. "Do we have any of that numbing gel left?"

"A little. I was thinking I need to get out tonight, and we need a few things for next week. I'm sure you're tired from work, but if you don't mind sitting with the fussy one for an hour or so—"

"Of course, sweetheart." He kissed the top of her head and nuzzled her neck, "I'm glad you can see when you need some time to yourself."

The evening carried on, with Lily waking and fussing shortly after Emma left for the store, leaving Will with an extremely crabby baby, who continued her wallowing throughout the night and well into the morning, where a bleary-eyed, equally frustrated Emma stood swaddling the six-month-old while Will dressed himself for work one final half-day of work before the holiday break began.

"Em, I promise, when school gets out at twelve, I'm speeding back here and taking over so you can sleep the afternoon away, okay? Try not to stress out too much."

True to his word, Will rushed home and took over, but Emma declined the offer to catch up on her rest, insisting she needed to pack for their upcoming trip to her hometown.

"Em? I hate to be a downer. but...are you really going to want to travel with her like this?"

Emma smirked in her sleepy state and tugged Will's tie. "See, we deal with the fussiness while we drive, and it won't be any fun at all...but then we get to Virginia, and we pawn her off on my mother, who will be more than happy to take care of her grandbaby that she hasn't seen since August...then we get some time alone..."

"Okay," He swallowed and kissed the top of his wife's head. "We're going."

"That's what I thought," Emma giggled and ruffled through drawers, pulling out extra pairs of everything that Lily could possibly soil throughout their stay. "I don't even know what to begin to pack for her...I suppose we could get diapers and food when we get there, rather than lug it all..."

Will paused the rocking of his daughter and repositioned Lily in his hold as he stared at Emma. "You, going somewhere without completely prepared?"

She bit her lip in a smile and shrugged. "Why not? I like to loosen up every now and then, I suppose." Lily, who had calmed her fussing once she saw Will, interjected with a slur of vowels, making both parents laugh. "And you're the reason that Mommy's not so crazy anymore! What do you think of that, Lil?" Emma kissed her cheek before leaning backwards to stretch. "Oh, I need a nap."

"So sleep, Em. I know you haven't had any for the better part of this week. I'll be just fine with the monster for a few hours. Is there a bottle in the fridge?"

"Oh yeah. Two or three, I think. She was refusing to eat and I was dying."

Will squinted at Lily, bouncing her lightly. "How come you're not eating, baby?"

"She better not keep this up. She's already in negative tenth percentile in her physical development."

"Negative ten? Wow. You're going backwards, Lily! You're a super baby!" Will teased, tickling her without much laughter in response.

Emma rolled her eyes as she retreated from the room to her own, "If you could wake me up in two hours or so...I'd appreciate it. And there's a basket of unfolded laundry on the sofa. I'm not implying anything by that at all."

He laughed and followed her to their doorway, kissing her softly before the door swung closed. "I'll take care of it, dear."

A little less than two hours later, Emma's father woke her up.

"Yeah, Dad...we're hoping to leave by ten tomorrow...hopefully we'll be there around eight, if all goes well. Lily's been really fussy and crabby the past few days, so we might have to make more than a few stops. She's got another cold from teething, I think."

"Well, take your time. And if she's getting sicker...please, just do what's best for Lily. We can always come visit you all during your winter break. I don't want you thinking that we're going to be crushed if you can't come. We'll miss you, but I understand."

Emma sighed as she stood from her place on the edge of her bed, "Thanks, but I think we're going to make it. I'll call you when we're on the road."

"Alright, ladybug. I'll see you tomorrow. I love you."

"Thanks, Dad. I love you too."

She shuffled to the bathroom to check her appearance in the mirror, cringing upon catching sight of her bed-head.

"Yikes," She muttered, arguing with a brush until it was suitable and changing into a fresh set of clothing before continuing to pack, praying that Will had convinced Lily to take a nap as well.

"She's just so congested. I think it's more than teething, Mom," Emma heard Will's voice from the kitchen alongside a snuffly, whining baby. "I really don't want to cancel plans with her parents. Emma hasn't seen them since August, and after everything that happened last month, I really, really want her to be able to spend time with them and her sister—"

Catching sight of his wife in the reflection of the window, Will cringed and hurriedly said good-bye to his mother and turned to face Emma.

"Hey, um...sorry, I was—"

"It's fine," Emma opened her arms for a long hug. "I want to go, so badly."

He rubbed her back and rested his chin atop her head. "I understand, sweetheart. It's been a long time."

"But I know that if she gets any sicker...We're probably not going to be able to go."

Lily stretched her arms in her mother's direction from the high-chair seat on their counter, her whines turning into cries.

Emma pulled away from Will and held the baby to her chest. "Sweet girl...I need you to be better."

* * *

"I'm calling the pediatrician," Emma sighed the next morning at eight, moving from Will's side of the bed, where she had been comforting a sobbing Lily in her father's arms. With a heavy hard, she lowly added, "Then my parents."

"Em, relax, okay? Let's take her to the doctor, get her checked out. If it's not that bad, we can still go. Maybe we'll get there really late tonight, or maybe tomorrow —I know, that's Christmas Eve, but it's better than not going at all, right?"

Emma sniffed and shrugged, scrolling through her contacts until she found their pediatrician's number and set up an appointment for ten.

Her baby's doctor was a place that Emma constantly dreaded. It was the one spot where her OCD was in overdrive, where she felt suffocated with bacteria, and she refused to go without Will.

"Appointment is at ten," She said quietly after hanging up. "I'm going to take a shower real fast...actually, never mind. I'll need one when we get back."

She opened her arms near Will to take her screaming daughter, but he shook his head, placing the distressed infant on Emma's pillow, knowing his comfort was needed elsewhere for thirty or so seconds, and enveloped his wife in a hug, forcing her to lay on top of him. "I know how disappointed you are. Sweetheart, I'm so sorry."

Two hours later found Emma furiously scrubbing the metal parts of a waiting room chair with a sanitizing wipe while Will rocked their fussing six-month-old. "Em," He whispered, placing a heavy hand on her shoulder after letting her go at it for over ten minutes. "It's clean."

When Emma was stressed, her OCD symptoms kicked themselves into overdrive. "I-I know," She mumbled, tossing the disinfecting material into the wastebasket and sitting in the chair, propping her chin up with one hand and drumming her fingernails of the other on her leg. "Will, I'm so worried," She breathed, shaking her head. "What if she's—"

He sat next to her, folding Lily onto his lap and took one of his wife's hands. "Emma, look at me," He requested, smiling weakly when she complied, "We're going to make it through this. Just like we've made it through everything else so far. It's going to be okay. I promise."

They were called back a few minutes later, where the hoarsely screeching baby was placed on a scale to be measured in height and weight, reaching frantically for her mother as the nurse attempted to take her numbers down. "Go ahead and take her, mom," The young brunette nodded, leading the trio to a brightly colored examination room. "What are her symptoms?" Emma ran through the physical ailments that had been plaguing their daughter for the previous two days, while the nurse typed them into the computer system and took Lily's temperature. "101.5...That's pretty high...I'll be sure the doctor gets here right away."

The woman left, leaving Will to watch helplessly as Lily shivered in Emma's arms, the mother herself doing her best not to cry. "She'll be fine, Em...They see sick babies all the time."

"I know I just," A few stray tears slid out as she whispered through a choked sob, "I feel so bad. There's nothing I can do to make her feel better."

Will kissed his wife's temple, nuzzling her hair against his. "There will be. We'll get some medicine and hug her tight until she's healthy again."

The doctor — an older woman with years of experience whom Emma trusted implicitly — knocked quietly before entering the room, a weary expression on her face as she caught sight of the disaster which was Lily. "Oh, baby getting sick two days before Christmas? That's no fun, Lily!" She waved politely at the Schuester family, giving a sympathetic smile to the clearly distressed mother. "Alright, Mr. and Mrs. Schuester...we've got flu like symptoms from the sounds of things, but I'd like to give her a full work up to make sure it's nothing too serious."

Will took Lily and helped her sit up on the examination table while the pediatrician warmed up her stethoscope before pressing it against the little girl's bare skin. The doctor listened for a few minutes before determining, "The good news is that she isn't wheezing. With that, I'd like to say that this is just the flu. Unfortunately, there's not much you can do but make her comfortable. I'll prescribe something a little more effective than the baby Tylenol to try and keep her happy. But you need to monitor her closely. If her fever spikes above 102, and it sounds like she's wheezing or having any sort of difficulty breathing, take her into the ER immediately. I don't want to scare you, but I'd rather keep Lily safe than sorry, as I'm sure you would as well."

"Of course," Emma nodded, swallowing hard. "Thank you, doctor."

* * *

That night was difficult for both parents. Lily's howling was grinding on them both, wearing both parents out. Emma was still seeping with disappointment over not being able to visit with her family.

Will and Emma slept in shifts, although with the coughing and hoarse screeching from down the hall, resting was hard to come by.

"Will, she won't eat," Emma complained at ten in the morning of Christmas eve, when he gave up his last attempt at getting any shut-eye. "I don't know what to do. She hasn't eaten since we got home yesterday! She's going to get worse!"

He lifted Lily onto his hip, turning up the humidifier they'd bought the night before, and pulling Emma's exhausted and worried frame towards him. "Have you tried something solid?"

"No," She sighed while Lily molded her body onto Will's, falling asleep on his shoulder within moments, causing both parents to freeze, unsure of whether or not they should attempt putting the child down, lest they wake her.

Ever-so-cautiously, the pair managed to detach the infant without disturbing her, placing her in the crib, where they listened to her air intake increase as she was resting on her back.

"What do we do now?" Will mouthed, receiving an answer when Emma quickly brought a mountain of blankets and pillows in the room, spreading them across the floor so they'd be close to their baby and able to rest, yet still have the ability to be up for her in a moment's notice.

Will crawled up in a ball, barely inviting his wife into the pile of comfort on the floor, making her raise an eyebrow and cross her arms. He stuck his tongue out, far too tired to be mature. Giving up, Emma plopped next to him, pulling a blanket over herself and turning to the side, her backside his view. Recalling he was in his thirties, Will reached out an arm and pulled his wife to his chest, spooning her loosely and nuzzling her hair until both of them had fallen asleep.

It was nearly three hours of bliss for the family until Emma instinctually awoke to check Lily's features for signs of distress. It had been twenty hours since the little girl had eaten, and judging by the noises coming from her lungs as she slept, it would be hours before she was ready for anything anytime soon.

"Will," Emma called worriedly, touching Lily's face in panic, "Will," She hissed. "Come on, wake up!" He

grumbled and turned towards the pillow, taking several moments before he had the ability to rise.

"What is it?" He rubbed the sleep from his eyes, greeting his wife at the crib, winding a tired arm around her shoulders.

"Listen to her breathe, feel her, Will, she's burning up!"

He was quiet, listening to the strained sounds of oxygen intake that Lily was making, gently caressing her rosy cheeks. "Oh, baby..." He moved to the changing table, sifting through a basket of baby medical supplies until he found a thermometer, trying to place it in his daughter's ear as gently as possible as not to wake her. He winced at the number when removing it, showing his wife who covered her mouth, shaking her head.

"We need...we need to go to the hospital." Emma swallowed hard, moving around the room, hastily packing a diaper bag. "Could you pack a quick bag for us, in case it's awhile before we're able to leave? Just with toothbrushes and—"

"I'm on it, Em," He agreed, running to their bedroom to toss items of necessity into a duffle bag.

Within five minutes, the Schuester's were on their way to the hospital. Will was, for the second time in a month, more than grateful that they lived so close.

Emma unbuckled Lily's car seat, in shock that the transportation hadn't woken her up, and the family stepped into the hospital, checking in on a long waiting list of emergencies. The receptionist told the adults it would likely be several hours before they'd be seen, but that a nurse would be out within a few minutes to do Lily's initial workups, and decide if she was a priority case.

Will refused to lose his cool as he witnessed early signs of an impending meltdown from his wife, who was pacing incessantly, her arms crossed and head down. He gently rocked Lily's car seat on the chair next to him, praying she'd stay asleep at least until they were called back. "Emma," He said softly, grabbing hold of her upper arm and pulling her to sit on his lap. "Hey, relax a little, alright? They're going to take good care of her."

He kissed her hair and held her middle for ten minutes until a nurse called, "For Lily Schuester?"

Emma sprang from her seat and wrung her hands together while Will carried their daughter back, both parents anxious as a second nurse asked for specifics on what was going on, and took Lily's temperature while the first was prepared to write down the number. "Oh," The woman cringed, "103.2...we need to put her on top of the waiting list, please, Kath. Let me get her wristband. Mom or Dad, I'll need one of you to wear one as well." Emma volunteered first, stepping forward as Lily's information was printed on labels then on a card stock-weight paper, finally wrapped around both the Schuester ladies' wrists.

"We'll have you three wait in the hall while we get you in a room."

It was another half hour of waiting before the Schuester's were given a temporary ER room, and another forty minutes before a doctor entered. When he did, he immediately ordered cultures and a chest X-Ray, saying it could be a multitude of respiratory infections, and that he wanted to have a clear diagnosis before beginning treatment. When Emma commented that Lily hadn't eaten or drank anything in almost an entire day, the six-month-old was promptly placed on an IV drip to provide her with fluids.

The sight of Lily being wheeled to the imaging wing an incubator-like crib brought a wave of tears to her mother, who finally lost her composure.

"Will, what if this—"

"Hey, hey, hey," Will cut Emma off with a kiss to her lips, wiping her tears with his thumbs. "No what if's for our baby girl. She's going to be _fine_. It might take a few days and a few needles, but she's going to be alright. You've got to stay strong for her, Em."

Emma choked on a sob and let her chest heave a few times before calming down, removing her cellphone from it's place in her pocket, calling her mother and letting her family in Virginia know the latest on the situation in Lima.

It was another long stretch of time before the parents saw their daughter again, who was finally awake when she arrived, looking worse for than either had ever seen her previously. Emma asked the nurse if she could Lily, and was brought to tears again when it was suggested she not.

Within minutes of Emma calming once again, the doctor returned, shaking his head. "The X-Ray was inconclusive. We're sure there's fluid in the lungs, but we were unable to confirm a diagnosis on it. We're going to have to wait for the cultures to grow. In the meantime, I've spoken with a doctor from Children's in Dayton, who is a specialist in infant respiratory infections, and who is actually going to be working for the Christmas holiday. I do believe that transferring Lily there is the best option at this point. Until then, we're going to put her on oxygen, to take some of the workload off of Lily. We're making transportation arrangements now, and we should be ready to take her within the hour."

Will rubbed his temples while Emma shook visibly, forcing herself to take a seat as to prevent passing out.

"One of you can ride with her while the other drives—" A paramedic stated awhile later, not needing to finish before Will gently pushed Emma forward, knowing that while they were both in no state to drive, she'd spend the entire ride hysterical, where as he might be able to make it without tears if he were focused enough.

Emma swallowed hard as Will hugged her tightly before letting her board the ambulance. "Will, please, drive carefully—"

He kissed her cheek, nodding against her forehead. "I'll be safe, Em. I _promise_."

The drive was torturous, with Emma holding onto Lily's hand through the cut out holes in her incubator, watching her daughter's chest rise and fall in a struggle for air. The hour-long ride seemed like a year.

When they finally arrived, Lily was rushed to a private room in the pediatric intensive care unit, where her parents were greeted by the respiratory specialist shortly upon arrival. He had already reviewed the X-Rays, and was ready to give the six-month-old his own workup, asking Will and Emma to step into the hallway.

Emma collapsed into Will's arms again, waiting impatiently for the diagnosis. Both mother and father had run out of things to say.

The doctor exited Lily's room with a soft smile for the weary couple, addressing them seriously. "All we can do is wait until the cultures are finished. We'll have a clear diagnosis within two hours. Right now, Lily is stable, and is breathing easier after I increased her oxygen. She's still running a high fever, but thankfully the fluid drip is working, so she's no longer dehydrated. Let her rest, and I'll be back as soon as we know the results of the tests, alright?"

It was well past ten at night by the time the specialist returned, a comforting expression on his face. "Good news, Mr. and Mrs. Schuester...it's treatable."

Relief washed over both their faces as Emma's arms wound around Will's neck when he asked, "What is it?"

"You've probably read before that RSV, Respiratory Syncytial Virus, is something that is very common in young children. It usually presents as a cold, and usually goes away after a few days. However, sometimes, it turns into something more severe, which in Lily's case, is Bronchiolitis. Her lungs are inflamed and full of mucus. We believe that she has a bacterial case of it, so we'll be treating her with antibiotics, and keeping her on fluids and oxygen until she's doing better."

"But I thought it was caused by a virus," Emma stated, not comprehending how her baby's illness was two-part.

"It was. Sometimes the virus develops into an atypical bacteria, as well; which is why Lily's case is so severe. She had several risk factors of developing it, as all premature, low-birth weight babies do."

"How long do you think she'll be in here for?" Will asked, not excited to spend time in a hospital.

"A few days, a week maximum...she's going to be alright. We just want to keep a close watch on her. I'm glad you brought her in when you did. It was the right call, even if it does mean spending Christmas in a hospital."

Emma asked one final question before the doctor left. "When can I hold her?"

"Once we start the medication, you can hold her whenever you'd like, Mrs. Schuester. Just make sure she's getting plenty of rest, you as well. She's hooked up to plenty of monitors, so the nurses will be alerted if anything goes wrong. We can pull up a cot for the pair of you to sleep on in her room, or there's a waiting room down the hall. There's even a short-term parental stay facility across the street for you to freshen up in, or stay the night if you please. Just let your nurses know if you need anything. I'm on call tomorrow, and will be stopping in throughout the day to check up on Lily. Anything else I can do for you now?" He asked, stuffing paperwork into a folder.

The parents shook their heads and the doctor bid them a Merry Christmas Eve, directing them to their daughter's room.

Emma swallowed a thick lump in her throat, giving a watery smile at Lily, who kicked her legs for attention in the crib she was lying in, whining hoarsely. "Oh, sweetie, Mommy's here...I'll pick you up as soon as they give you the medicine...Will, um...could you call our parents?"

He obliged, moving towards the window in attempt to find better reception as he informed both sets of Lily's grandparents of the developments in her situation, growing more relieved as a nurse hooked up the required medications to make his little girl better.

Lily was placed in Emma's arms when midnight rolled around, once her fever had lowered half a degree and she'd had a patch of uninterrupted sleep. Will stroked his wife's hair as she rocked their daughter, smiling through her exhaustion. Will took the opportunity to capture Lily's first Christmas on his phone, making a three-minute-movie of Emma singing Silent Night to their baby.

"Heavenly Peace," Will shook his head after ending the video. "Do you think we'll ever find it?" He joked, pulling his chair up next to Emma's. Her eyes were glassy and bloodshot, with dark circles underneath. He assumed he didn't look much better.

"Maybe someday. When I'm not certifiable, and Lily's healthy...and we're one big happy family. I think we'll find some peace. It just might take awhile," She responded truthfully, moving one hand from cradling Lily to squeeze her husband's. "I love you, Will. Merry Christmas."

_He tried not to cry as he absorbed her words, shaking his head. "You're not crazy. And she's not sickly. We're going to get through this hurdle, Em. We're going to get through this one, and the next one, and a thousand after that. We will find that peace."_

* * *

Emma pulled a hand over her mouth to keep a loud sob at bay as she watched herself sing to her daughter through the television, the words of the Christmas carol resonating with her more than ever.

"_Radiant beams from thy holy face...with the dawn of redeeming grace..."_

Emma shook her head; she could desperately use some redeeming grace.

The cry escaped and present-day Lily turned her attention away from the movie, climbing into her mother's lap and curling up in the same position she had at six months of age. She hid her face in Emma's chest, stroking the collar of her shirt. "Mommy, don't cry..."

"Sorry, sweetheart. Mommy's just having a really, really tough time lately. I don't want to upset you, honey. I just...I just have to cry sometimes. You know that sometimes crying makes it feel better, right?"

"Yeah, I always cry, Mommy! It's okay."

Thanking her daughter for her approval, Emma skipped the next few scenes at the hospital, including Santa visiting the PICU and Emma's parents surprising them late that Christmas night, staying with Lily so the younger couple could receive a full night's rest.

"Oh, Mommy, look! We're at home again!"

Emma smirked at her video self giving a mock tour of Lily's bedroom.

"_And if you'll look to the left, you'll see a very expensive humidifier that our insurance didn't cover, and this machine, next to my baby's crib? This is a breathing...apparatus, which we had to pay seventy percent on. But I'm not bitter." Will laughed from behind the camera as Emma lifted baby Lily out of her car seat and onto her hip. "But I'm really not. The health of my child is priceless." _

"_That's right. We'd do anything for our baby, hm?" Will's hand stretched out to rub the girl's shoulder. "Aw, is my girl tired?" _

_Emma yawned. "I don't know about this girl," She answered, bouncing Lily who gave a weak smile. "But I'm about ready to pass out."_

_Will set his phone down, not aware he was still recording. "I'll take her, Em," He grunted as Lily's weight was transferred to his arms with little warning. "You get in bed. I'll join you once she's all hooked up and the monitor's on...go on..." He kissed her lips and Emma returned it wholeheartedly, "I love you."_

Emma had to stop the movie, shaking her head. "Mommy, let's play now," Lily stood up, bored from watching her parents on screen. "Can we?"

The mother nodded and Lily scampered to her room, likely pulling out toys, giving Emma time to reflect on what she'd seen and remembered.

Will was willing to do anything for his wife and daughter. He'd given up Glee. He sacrificed every moment he wasn't providing for their family to dedicate his time to them. Perhaps she'd burnt him out. Perhaps she'd pushed him overboard.

Perhaps there wasn't pulling him back up this time.

* * *

Emma pulled into Terri's driveway with a sleeping three-year-old in the back seat. "Lily, wake up honey," She said gently, ready to lift her daughter up. "Come on baby, we're at Aunt Terri's house." Lily mumbled and shook her head, tired from her lack of nap after lunch. Emma sighed and kissed the girl's forehead, unbuckling and carrying her to the front of the house, where Terri was waiting after hearing them pull in.

"Hello," The blonde greeted the pair of Schuester's with a smile. "Is it nap time?" Emma nodded. "We can put her in Kris's room, come on up." Emma toed off her shoes before following Terri up the hardwood staircase, with railings that she'd seen advertised as being made by Ecuadorian children. She inwardly shook her head at Will's ex-wife; who appeared to finally have the extravagant lifestyle she'd always wanted.

"Kristen," Terri whispered upon entering a sea-themed room. "Come here, please."

The blonde on the floor whipped her head up, smiling upon seeing Lily. "Is she gonna play?"

"Sh, in a little bit. Lily's sleeping right now. I need you to come downstairs to play until she wakes up, alright?"

The five-year-old agreed. "Can I watch _Hannah_?"

Terri nodded and the kindergartner flew down the stairs as the older blonde moved the blankets of the full-sized bed, motioning for Emma to place her daughter down. The redheaded mother kissed Lily's temple and brushed her tangled curls out of her face.

The two women returned to the foyer, where Terri gave Emma a look. "So, where are you off to?"

"Um..." Emma cleared her throat, not making eye-contact with the former wife of her husband. It was pointless to stall around the topic, Terri would work the information out of her one way or another. "I've got to go to the OBGYN. We're, um...having another baby."

Terri's eyes grew wide. "I'd tell you congratulations, but you don't exactly seem excited about this."

"It's just...really awful timing. Will and I are...having a hard time agreeing on what's best for Lily...and now with another one...it's just not going to get any easier."

"No, it's not. I'm sure if Mark and his first wife had known about Austin's condition, they would have done everything they could have to prevent having another child...but the fact is, it happened. And it's not easy, Emma. It's not easy with one child, especially one with special needs...and it doesn't get easier with two...or three. But it happened. He'll just have to accept that. There isn't an option. Will can brood and pout about it all he wants, but that's not going to help you get ready for another baby...and that's not going to help the one you already have."

"I know," Emma sighed, crossing her arms and trying not to cry. "I know. I just wish he would understand that."

Terri pressed her lips together. "Is he meeting you there, or—?"

"I don't know," She answered softly, letting a few tears slip. "I just don't know."

* * *

Emma hated the feeling of being alone in the doctor's office. While it was the same place she'd been to three years previously, it felt oddly cold and unfamiliar without Will by her side. Part of her was wishing he'd have already been waiting for her in the parking lot when she drove up; but the rest of her knew she had to mentally prepare to enter the examination alone.

She filled out the mandatory paperwork, resting it on her lap as she finished, staring hopelessly at the clock, willing time to move faster.

"Emma Schuester?" A nurse called from the back of the room, making Emma's nerves tingle as she stood from the chair, clutching the clipboard with the information on it tightly, and shifting her purse to her shoulder. "Hello! How are you, today?"

Emma swallowed a lump in her throat. "I'm well, thank you."

"Alright, before we take you back, I'm just going to update your chart with height and weight if you could step on the scale for me?"

After the usual blood pressure screening — hers was slightly elevated, but Emma was quite confident she knew the reason why — Emma was given a small plastic cup, at this point, she knew what to do with herself, and once finished, was told to take a seat in the sterile examination room so the nurse could draw blood.

She breathed deeply; just because she was no longer afraid of dirt did not mean she was going to enjoy being poked and prodded with a needle. Just as the nurse tied her upper arm with a rubber band and gave Emma a ball to hold on tightly with, a soft knock came from the door with a question of, "Need a hand to squeeze?"

Emma whipped her head up, eyes wide at the sound of Will's voice. He had a soft smile on his face, and his eyes, though red from hurt, were gentle and genuine.

"Yes please," She whispered through a lump of tears.

He took the seat next to hers, lacing his right hand's fingers through her left. "Ready?" The nurse asked, and Emma nodded. A needle slipped through the crease in her elbow, and once several small containers were filled, the woman set a cotton ball over the needle and slid it out, placing a bandage over the place. "Alright, Mrs. Schuester. I'm going to have you undress and the doctor will be in shortly."

The door closed and Emma turned her face to Will's, eyes blinking rapidly as she tried to ask him what he was doing in the same room as her.

"I'm sorry," He whispered, his curly head shaking. "I was unreasonable and out of control. I was so upset that I didn't even...I wasn't thinking. I didn't mean to walk out on you, or Lily...or this baby. I'm sorry, Emma. I'm so sorry."

Tears dripped down her cheeks and Emma wound both arms around Will's neck and his found their place at her waist. "You're here now, when I need you most," She sniffed, "And that's what matters."

He pulled away to take her face in his hands, pulling it close and kissing her lips. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Will. I'm sor—"

"Knock knock!" Dr. Romano poked her head in the door, "Whoops, sorry for interrupting...Do you need a few minutes—?"

"N-no, it's fine," Emma stood quickly, giving Will a knowing look of _we'll talk later_, and pulled the curtain in front of the table, quickly putting on the dressing gown and climbing on the table. "All set," She relaxed onto the paper behind her as Dr. Romano moved the fabric away.

"So, baby number two? How's baby number one?" The woman asked, taking a seat in a rolling chair and moving closer to Emma as Will stood to take his wife's hand.

"Well," Emma started, not sure how much of Lily's condition she wanted to share with non-family members. "Lily's alright. Just started preschool...she's having some...anxiety issues with it, but other than that, she's doing quite well. She's still a little peanut...we have her in dance class and she's the bittiest one of the group...everybody loves her."

"Well, that's great," The doctor rose and listened to Emma's heartbeat and lungs before before pressing on her stomach region. "Does she know that there's going to be a sibling yet?"

"No," Will shook his head, stroking Emma's hair as the obstetrician prepared to do a pelvic exam, making Emma squirm. "She's probably not going to take the news well, so we've got to strategize."

"I do have some literature I could provide you with to help the process out. I'll bring it in once we get all your numbers run. But for now, Emma, relax and we'll make this as quick as possible."

Finishing the worst of it, Dr. Romano washed her hands and measured Emma's belly, recording several pieces of information into Emma's file. "So without testing and images and from what you've shared in the paperwork, we're going to put you at ten weeks pregnant...And I'm sure you'd like to see a picture of your little one before I let you go?"

"Yes please," Emma smiled as the doctor rolled an ultrasound machine next to the bed.

"Alright...Let's see what we have," She said, squeezing the blue imaging gel onto the redhead's stomach. "Okay, here we go...Here's the head," The doctor said with a squint as she pointed to the screen. "And here's a hand." The doctor continued to point out the baby's features as Will and Emma stared on in fondness.

* * *

Emma placed Lily in her bed that night, brushing the girl's hair with her fingers, attempting to detangle some of the curls. "I love you, Mommy," The little girl whispered, reaching her arms to hug Emma's neck.

"I love you too," Her mother replied, kissing her cheek and brushing their noses together as Will stepped into the room.

"Daddy, do you love me?"

Will knelt next to the toddler bed, snuggling his face into her neck, making her giggle. "Of course I love you, baby." He met Emma's eyes and she nodded, indicating that it was the proper time to break the news of a sibling to Lily. "But before we let you go to sleep, Mommy and I want to tell you something." He reached to the floor, lifting a diagnostic image they'd received that afternoon, placing it in Lily's hands. "I know it's hard to see, but this is a picture of somebody."

Lily squinted, shrugging. "I don't see anybody."

"Well, it's not just anybody," Emma interjected, scooting closer and tracing the shape of her unborn child with her finger. "See, here's the head...and then...these are little tiny, tiny hands! This is the tummy, and finally, these are the feet. It's an itty, bitty baby. In fact, it's so tiny, it hasn't even been born yet."

"Where is it?" Lily questioned as her interest peaked.

"This baby," Will answered, "Is still inside it's mother's tummy. That's where babies grow, inside of their mother's tummies. And this baby," He paused and pointed to the picture once again, "Is growing inside of your Mommy's tummy."

"I'm going to have this baby," Emma said softly as Lily sat up. "This is a picture of your little brother or sister. In a few months, right before your birthday, this baby is going to come out of my tummy and live with us."

"Mommy?" Lily swallowed, shaking her head, growing upset. "Mommy, I don't want a baby."

Will bit his lip and pulled Lily into a hug. "It's going to be hard to understand, Lily. And at first, it's going to be pretty hard to deal with having a baby in the house."

"But," Emma stated, making sure her daughter's eyes met her own, "We're going to be there the whole time. We're going to make sure to answer all of your questions, and we're going to make sure you still have everything you could possibly need. We won't forget about you just because there's a new baby. And most importantly, your Daddy and I will never, ever stop loving you."

Her lower lip trembled as she shook her head. "I don't want a baby!"

"I know you don't, Lily, I know," Will kissed her cheek. "But it's not going to be as bad as you think."

She grunted and pushed away from Will, laying down on her mattress and rubbing her face against her pillow.

"Do you want us to go away, honey?" He asked, "We'll let you go to sleep and we can talk about it in the morning."

She didn't say anything, just pulled her blankie over her face.

"Okay," Emma sighed. "We'll leave. Goodnight baby. We _love_ you."

They left, turning out the light and closing the door part way.

"Did we do that right?" She asked when they arrived in their bedroom.

"I think we did pretty well," Will shrugged, guiding his wife to the bed, where she molded into his embrace. He lifted her shirt up over her belly, just starting to swell, and rubbed gently. "I think that she's going to have a thousand and a half questions, and with each question, there will be a fresh batch of tears, but in the end...I think that she'll be ready for it."

They were silent for awhile, Will kissing every part of her face he'd neglected over the past few weeks, stroking each inch of her stomach that he'd failed to feel.

"I'm so sorry about all this, Will," Emma finally whispered, shaking her head as she lay flat against the pillow, several tears trailing to her ears in her position. "I never should have stopped taking those pills...gosh, I never should have started any of this to begin with, even back in July. I'm sorry Will, I'm so sorry."

He contemplated her words, sitting up and taking one of her hands. "I forgive you, Emma. Although now that I'm over the initial shock, I'm glad you did this. We're going to have another baby...and while the timing might not be perfect, he or she will be." He lowered himself to the pillow beside his wife, brushing her tears away.

"Thank you," She mumbled against his lips as they crashed against hers and he rolled her body on top of his, making her smile and rub a hand up his bicep.

Emma deepened the kiss by gliding her tongue across his lip, forcing entrance into his mouth.

"Oh, you think so?" Will laughed, flipping them over again so he was on top, careful not to put his weight over her belly.

"I do think so," She said sulkily, rubbing their foreheads together and sliding a hand up his shirt, setting their night off right.

* * *

_April_

"Come on, Lily," Will sighed as he bounced his daughter on his hip. "Don't you want to see Mommy?"

"Just Mommy! No baby!" She cried as she hid her face in his neck on a warm morning in April. "No baby!"

Sarah peered over the doorway of her kitchen to watch the interaction take place. She'd taken Lily late the night before when Emma went into labor, only two days before her due date this time. "Lily, it's going to be so much fun! The doctors will show you—"

"No!" She screeched, taking off down the hall into Scott's room, where her already four-year-old friend had yet to awaken until that moment. Lily cried as she pulled herself into the race car bed, placing her head next to Scott's as he hugged her.

"Lily, it's okay. Don't cry," He said groggily, sitting up and pulling his blankets down. "What's wrong?"

Eight-year-old Nick had also been stirred by the commotion, opening his brother's door, he asked, "Lily? What are you doing here so early? And why are you so sad?"

""M-Mommy had...had the baby!"

The blonde boy joined the preschoolers on the bed, offering advice to his ginger-hued neighbor. "You know what? It's not that bad. Scottie was a pain in the butt for awhile, but once he got bigger, he's pretty fun to play with."

"No!" She shook her head, climbing out of the bed and running to the front door where Will caught her as she attempted to escape. She kicked in his arms, throwing a full-blown tantrum the likes of which he hadn't seen in awhile.

"Lily, Lily Ann! Enough!" He demanded, placing her on the floor and keeping a firm grip on her shoulders. "I understand that you're upset, but this is not acceptable."

She threw her head back and wailed, shaking and sniffing as the Guire boys dared to peak at the display of their friend so upset. Sarah noticed and shoed them back down the hall, sitting with Will in an attempt to calm Lily down.

"Honey, you're going to make yourself sick," She said softly, locking the door discreetly, encouraging Will to let the preschooler go. "You need to calm down."

It took several more gentle attempts for Lily's volume to decrease and her hysterics to turn into anxious pants. "That's much better," Will breathed deeply, pulling her into his lap, rocking her gently. "Much better. It's okay, Lily. It's all okay...Thanks, Sarah," He shook his head. "This is not how I intended today to go."

After convincing Lily to come home, Will dressed and fed her before forcing her into the car, where fresh tears rolled down her cheeks once more. He ignored her pleas of staying in the car, or of sitting in the waiting room, and dragged her kicking and screaming into Emma's recovery room.

"There's only one voice that screech could belong to," Emma sighed with an understanding smile at Will's look of distress upon opening the door. She sat up, the bundle in her arms grunting slightly as she moved and at the sudden level of noise. "Shh, it's okay, baby...Lily Ann, that's enough crying."

Will moved closer to his wife while Lily crossed her arms and planted herself on the floor, turning away from her parents and newborn sibling. "Not a pleasant reaction by any means," He muttered, taking a seat next to his wife and kissing her cheek, then looking down at his newborn with glowing pride. "Hi, baby..."

"It sure would be nice of Lily to come and say hello to her baby _brother_," Emma chided, staring at the three-year-old who was trying not to make eye-contact with her mother. "Luke would love to meet his big sister who's going to take such good care of him. His big sister who's going to teach him lots of neat things."

Finally Lily stood up, tip-toeing to the edge of the bed, where just her eyes peeked over.

"Oh!" Emma smirked and looked down. "Hey there, sweetheart. Would you like to join us?"

She didn't respond, her wide brown eyes glued to the baby. "Why's he so little?"

"You were this little once." Will smiled, pleased to see her daughter taking some sort of interest in the newest addition to the Schuester clan. "In fact, you were even tinier than baby Luke."

"I was?" Lily heaved herself onto the white linens, only struggling to pull her leg over. "Wow, he's so tiny!" She gasped, blinking quickly and crawling into Emma's lap, where the mother wound her free arm around the smaller redhead's waist. "Hi, baby," She giggled as the bundle squirmed. "Aw, he's trying to get away!"

Will held back tears as Lily asked, "Mommy, can I touch him?"

Emma nodded, "Be very gentle, Lily."

She cautiously reached her fingers out, brushing them against Luke's peachy-pink cheek, causing him to turn towards them, his lips puckering.

"Aw!" Lily giggled again. "He's giving me kisses!"

Both parents laughed and looked one another in the eyes, making a move for a kiss themselves.

"Do you want to hold your little brother?" Emma suggested, sitting up straighter.

They adjusted positions, letting their oldest child lean against the pillows as will instructed her that Luke's head had to be supported.

Will reached for his camera as Lily smiled at her baby brother, drinking in his features.

Luke's dark eyes opened and closed as he attempted to focus on his big sister, his chubby cheeks being stroked by his mother, who was only slightly nervous that Lily would drop him. "Mommy, he's got a big forehead!"

"All babies do, sweetheart. Their heads grows faster than their body."

"Where is Luke going to sleep?"

"At first," Will answered, the smile still plastered on his face at the sight of his children bonding, "Luke will sleep in a little crib, called a basinet, with Mommy and I, in our room. When he's a little bit bigger, we'll move him into the room we painted blue for him, in crib that's in there."

"Is he gonna eat with us?"

"When he's older, he will," Emma replied, brushing Lily's bangs away from her face. "For now, I feed him."

"When is he going to walk? Does he know I'm his big sister? Can we get a puppy when he's bigger?"

"Okay, okay," Will kissed her forehead. "That's a lot of questions. He'll walk when he's a year old, he probably does know you're his sister, and we are never getting a puppy. Ever."

Lily processed the answers and leaned back, examining her brother's face again. "Can you put him away for awhile and play with me?"

"Sweetheart," Emma warned, "We talked about what happens when there's a baby. Baby's needs come before Lily's wants, remember? Now, don't start crying. There's going to be plenty of time for us to play together. Can you suck that lip back up and show me a pretty smile?"

Lily surrendered, showing her pearly white teeth to her mother, giving Will the perfect opportunity to take a picture of his children.

* * *

The following month was exhausting as Will and Lily wrapped up their school year, and Emma adjusted to being a stay-at-home mom once again. Lily had frequent meltdowns over feeling ignored by the attention her parents were giving to her baby brother.

Meanwhile, Emma was finding Luke to be a much quieter baby than Lily had been. His demeanor was easy-going, and he was much less demanding than the nearly-four-year-old was.

"Tomorrow! Tomorrow! My birthday's tomorrow!" Lily sang the first week of June, skipping through the hallway after Emma, who was clutching a sleeping Luke to her chest, amazed that her daughter's noise level wasn't waking her son.

"Yes it is, my big girl," Emma affirmed, turning to face the smaller version of herself. "Are you so excited?"

"So excited!" She shouted, bouncing happily. "We're going to see Gran'ma tomorrow, too!"

"Sure are...and who knows what else Daddy and I have planned." Emma winked, working Luke to a cradle hold in one arm and scooping Lily up with the other, bringing them to the kitchen and placing Lily on a stool while Luke's sleepy frame was set into a swing, which Emma wound to hopefully keep him in the state while she prepared lunch.

The day went by with only one small meltdown from the near birthday girl, who threw a minor temper tantrum when Will asked her to wait to play while he changed his son. Yet, the following day, not a tear was in sight as the family entered the nursing home where his mother was a resident, meeting his father and visiting the woman who correctly identified each member of the family on the first try.

"Oh, and where's that baby?" Mrs. Schuester stood, walking slowly to the family, "Oh, what a little pumpkin," She said to Emma, her brown eyes burrowing into her grandson.

"Doodle, it's also somebody's birthday today," Her husband reminded and the plump woman turned to face her granddaughter.

"I could never forget that! My little Lily-bug, come give me a hug!"

Lily giggled into a hug from her grandmother, who lifted the freshly-turned four-year-old onto her hip, carrying her to the corner of the room where a package had been wrapped in pick ribbon. "I had your Papa take me out shopping so I could find something perfect for you, princess." The little Schuester lady gently pulled at the bow until it came undone, tearing the paper away. "Open the box," The grandmother said softly, catching her son's eyes beaming at his own eldest child as she saw what was inside.

"Grammie! It's the prettiest dolly I ever saw!" Lily hugged the red-haired baby doll to her chest, smiling brightly. "It looks like me!"

"I thought so, too. Happy Birthday, Lily."

"Thank you, Gran'ma!" She turned, hugging the elderly woman snugly, stating, "It's the best birthday I ever had!"

Emma leaned her head on Will's shoulder at the sight of her daughter's happiness. He swallowed a lump in his throat with a sinking feeling that the moment they were in was the happiest moment he'd ever experience with his entire family.

Little did he know how right his feeling was.

_Fin - Part II_

* * *

Preview for Part III of the _Beautiful_ series

**Beautiful Disaster** (Summer 2011)

Official Summary: Will and Emma have always been a couple to beat the odds. But with their family in shambles, marriage crumpling, and an unexpected twist in events, life as they'd known it will be changed forever.

_Emma crumpled as she hung up the phone with her husband. She knew she'd lost the battle._

"_You know," She laughed sarcastically, "The divorce rate," She sniffed, a strange smile present on her face, "The divorce rate for parents of special needs kids is over eighty percent?" _

_Her sister shook her head, "Emma, you're—"_

"_I always thought that Will and I were the couple to beat the odds. I mean...look how far we've come, right?" The redhead hugged her youngest child, kissing her forehead and wishing she could understand what was going on. "But I guess we're just going to be another statistic."_

_Annie choked her own tears out, refusing to believe her younger sibling. "What about your kids, Em? They need you and Will, both, fighting for them—"_

"_Well, they don't have us both fighting for them, Annie. Right now, they have me. And you better believe I'm going to ensure that they are treated the way they should be. Even if that means fighting their own father. In court."_

Thank you all for standing by me throughout the constant strain of hiatuses. RIB throw enough of them at fans, and I feel horrible for doing the same. Similar to the last installment, as a thank you to the readers, there will be a **one-shot dedicated** to one lucky, random reviewer of this chapter; as a thank you for your support! Have your prompts ready!

I'm so thankful that many of you continue to support my writing! I hope you enjoyed _Beautiful Lie_, and will be joining the Schuester family for _Beautiful Disaster_! Coming this summer!


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